The Ninth Chevron
by jadedfirefly
Summary: Now complete... SG-1 must race to beat Ba'al to a power source capable of dialing a Stargate using a ninth symbol. Set between seasons 8 and 9.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I've posted a short character piece here, but this is my first actual story. The idea came to me as I read small teasers for Stargate Universe. This story takes place between seasons 8 and 9. Let me know what you think. I love reviews!

**Disclaimer: **They are not mine. Bummer!

**Warning! **Sam/Jack ship... not so much in this chapter, but it's coming real soon! Also, quite a bit of hurt/comfort and whump in this story. Don't say you weren't warned.

**P.S. **I want to send a heartfelt thank you to everyone who was kind enough to review my first fanfic. Those reviews gave me the courage to post this. Thanks again.

**The Ninth Chevron**

**Chapter One**

Jack grumpily hunkered down in the corner of the small cell, Daniel lying on his back next to him. The archeologist's arm was wrapped in a makeshift sling created by pieces of his green BDU jacket. Teal'c sat silently across the room, his legs crossed and back straight. His eyes were closed in kel'no'reem. Jack had always wondered at his ability to sit like that for hours on end. Was there some Jaffa school for perfect posture out there in the universe somewhere?

"How long has she been gone?" Daniel's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Jack flipped open his watch. "A couple of hours," he reported gruffly.

Daniel pushed himself off the floor and started pacing… again. Jack had been grateful when he'd given it up thirty minutes ago and thrown himself down on the floor. Daniel's pacing had a way of getting Jack keyed up, too.

"Sit down, Daniel."

"What could they be doing that takes two hours?" Daniel grimaced even as the words left his mouth. He shook his head. "Don't answer that."

Jack knew why. He knew exactly what they were doing with Carter, and the longer she was gone, the worse it was for her… especially since she'd already been hurt when they took her. He'd been trying to keep his mind off of it since the Jaffa had rounded them up and dragged them in here sans his Colonel and the local driver who had been assigned to take them from the gate to the trade negotiations Jack was supposed to conduct.

He was used to missions going bad. It was a joke among the other teams of the SGC that if there was trouble to be found, SG-1 would find it. Still, it had been so long since he'd been in the field that he hadn't really been ready for this particular mission to go to hell so quickly. Maybe it was him. Maybe he had bad karma… had been jinxed… hexed… made some voodoo queen out there in the cosmos wish him a lot of really bad days. Since Carter had taken over command of SG-1, he had to admit, their knack for getting themselves into unforeseen peril had tapered quite a bit.

Now, here they were alongside him, stuck in a cell aboard some Goa'uld mother ship.

It had happened so quickly, there was nothing any of them could have done to stop it.

--

"Cool! A beach!" Jack said gleefully the second he stepped through the gate and on to the platform of P3X-469.

Carter grinned next to him. "You knew it was here, Sir."

"Carter," he barked. "Let me have my fun."

"Yes, Sir." He did love making her smile.

"If you'd like, I could take you to a spot with one of the best views when the negotiations have been concluded." Jack turned to the owner of the incredibly high-pitched voice and immediately averted his eyes. The local was dressed… barely, in what looked to be fishnets and shells that almost covered his whatnot.

"That would be," he tried to keep his voice casual, but his gun unintentionally moved around to cover his own unexposed front, "kind of you." A quick glance at Carter told him she knew exactly how uncomfortable he was and she was enjoying it far too much.

The man bowed humbly and smiled. He accepted Daniel's outstretched hand. "It's good to see you again, Rhian." Daniel gestured for Jack to step closer. "This is General Jack O'Neill."

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, General." The man bowed again. "Your people have told me much about you."

"Yes… well," Jack pulled the bill of his worn hat down a bit, "Don't believe everything you hear."

Rhian looked confused as he moved his gaze from the General to his friends and back again. "I do not understand. Do you not trust your subordinates to tell the truth?"

"Oh, there's trust…" he looked at Carter briefly and then smiled back at Rhian, "… among other things." He stepped down past the man and onto the soft sand of the beach. The breeze coming in off the ocean was cool and refreshing after being cooped up inside the SGC for the last three days.

Sam stepped forward and pointed out a medium-sized metal trunk to Rhian. It sat atop the FRED that had stopped just beyond the gate. "The antibiotics we discussed are in there. I can show your people how to adapt your technology to reproduce them using spores found in your own world."

"If they work as well as you say they do, my people shall have much to thank you for." The man stepped off the steps and approached the General as Teal'c moved to retrieve the trunk. He gestured to a small vehicle that sat a few yards away. "If you will come with me, we can move to the Hall of Ra, where the negotiations will take place."

The man stepped in front of Jack and led them to the vehicle. He caught a brief flash of Rhian's fully exposed backside before turning to Daniel."

"After you, Daniel."

Daniel gave him a knowing look, but stepped in front of Jack, effectively blocking his view of Rhian's full moon.

Suddenly a lot more comfortable, Jack spied the vehicle. "A dune buggy… nice!"

"Indeed." Teal'c helped tie the chest to a bed at the back and took a seat at the rear next to Daniel. Carter squeezed in on the other side, leaving the passenger seat for Jack, who sat and moved his sunglasses off his head and onto his face.

The vehicle was, in reality, quite a bit larger than a dune buggy. Its outer shell was crafted from bits of metal, as were its wheels. They appeared to be hollow and had large spaces scored out intermittently along the surface. The design probably helped them cut through the sand for a pretty smooth ride. Rhian moved to the back of the vehicle. Jack couldn't see what he was doing, but before he could turn to look, the engine coughed and turned over. So, they'd mastered the combustion engine, he thought. He said as much to the local when he sat beside him and set the vehicle moving across the sand. He didn't add that he thought it ironic that a civilization could be advanced enough to build an automobile and yet choose to remain in the Fred Flinstone era where fashion sense was concerned.

"We are a simple society, General, but we mastered this technology many years ago."

"The General was just amazed at how similar our two cultures are," Carter called from the back seat. She cast a warning glance at Jack, to which he had the good grace of looking a bit sheepish.

Rhian laughed. "If what Dr. Jackson has told me is true, we could have been cut from the same cloth, so to speak."

Daniel had to yell to be heard over the engine as he sat forward a bit in his seat to speak to the men in the front. "It is true, that your people could have been brought here by Ra from Earth thousands of years ago. There are many worlds that were populated in much the same way."

"And you think this mineral you found in our caves can help you fight those who enslaved us?"

"Naquadah," Carter supplied. "And, yes, though most of their kind are already in hiding, there are a few who would still like to use what little power they have left to insight fear."

"I am sure your people and mine will be able to…"

Jack knew where the conversation was leading, but he didn't get to hear the rest. Rhian's voice was drowned out by the sudden explosion just outside the vehicle to the right. His senses instantly keyed up, he looked up to see an Al'kesh bearing down on them just before a second blast rocked the car up onto two wheels. His hands grabbed at whatever he could reach to hold on to as it settled back down and rushed forward. Rhian's face was awash with fear as his hands clenched the two steering levers like a vise.

"If you can get us behind one of those dunes over there, they may provide us with some cover!" Carter called out.

Rhian nodded and pointed the vehicle to the large shapes in the distance.

They never made it. Another blast slammed into the left side of the car and sent it up into the air. Jack saw everything move in slow motion as he was tossed around inside the cab until it finally settled on its roof with a crash. He was dazed, but knew the situation was urgent. They needed to find cover and fast, before the Jaffa in the Al'kesh arrived to retrieve them. "Everybody out," he croaked. He heard some answering grunts as he crawled out onto the sand.

There was no sign of the Al'kesh, but Jack knew it wasn't far away. At the moment, it was probably unloading a number of Jaffa nearby.

"Roll call, kids."

"I'm here, Jack." Daniel had crawled out directly behind Jack and was standing, albeit unsteadily, cradling his right arm.

"As am I, O'Neill."

"You injured, Teal'c?" Jack asked the Jaffa. He always asked, but he also knew the answer before he asked the question. Teal'c was always the first to bounce back, even when he did take a licking.

"I am fine." Teal'c looked at his commanding officer with an assessing gaze. "Are you well, GeneralO'neill?"

Jack nodded. "Carter?"

There was no answer. He took a closer look at the upside-down vehicle. The side she'd been sitting on was facing away from him, but Daniel's face when he rounded the hunk of metal and saw the damage shot worry through his chest.

"Jack, it's completely crushed in over here. I can't even see the window."

Jack threw himself back onto the ground and slid on his stomach under the car. Rhian was just pushing himself to the window. His face was bloody and his shoulder looked pretty raw and just a little bit charred. Jack reached out a hand and pulled him out. Teal'c grabbed his arm from behind Jack as soon as he let it go and continued to pull him further away from the vehicle.

"Thank you, my friend," he heard the man say to Teal'c. Jack could picture the Jaffa's answering nod even without looking. He paid little attention, though. His mind was on Carter and why she wasn't answering.

He pushed himself further into the vehicle so he could see past the passenger seat and caught the sight of her short blond hair. "Carter," he called again. She didn't move. He crawled closer to get a better look. She lay at an odd angle on the roof, her leg held above her by the twisted metal that had trapped it. He could see the edges of some pretty nasty burns along her left side. She must have caught part of the blast that had flipped the car. Not good. "Carter." He reached out and touched her hand that lay limp and outstretched. He felt it twitch a bit at his touch. He couldn't help the sense of urgency that was bubbling inside him. They needed to get out of here fast. "Carter," he said again. "No laying down on the job."

A groan. "Sir?" Her head moved a little as she tried to find the direction his voice was coming from.

"Carter. Can you pull your leg free?"

"Sir?" She seemed confused. Jack was about to explain when he heard Daniel's warning cry followed by a deep and authoritative voice.

"Cree!"

He felt strong hands grab his feet and pull him out of the vehicle and away from Carter. He turned and looked up into the sun to find the dark silhouette of a rather large Jaffa. A quick glance around told him they were surrounded. The symbols on the Jaffas' foreheads let him know they were dealing with Ba'al. "Oi."

--

Well, there it is... Questions? Comments? Talk amongst yourselves...

Chapter two should be posted tomorrow.

--


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **This chapter is all about the whump! Remember... Sam/Jack ship ahead.

**Disclaimer: **Alas, they are not mine...

I love the reviews! Keep 'em coming!

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

_"Carter. Can you pull your leg free?"_

_"Sir?" She seemed confused. Jack was about to explain when he heard Daniel's warning cry followed by a deep and authoritative voice._

_"Cree!"_

_He felt strong hands grab his feet and pull him out of the vehicle and away from Carter. He turned and looked up into the sun to find the dark silhouette of a rather large Jaffa. A quick glance around told him they were surrounded. The symbols on the Jaffas' foreheads let him know they were dealing with Ba'al. "Oi."_

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron**

**Chapter 2**

The walls inside Goa'uld ships were incredibly lacking in taste, he decided. It didn't really matter which kind of ship; Tel'tak, Al'kesh, Ha'tak…all of them were tacky. "Who in their right might decorates with entire walls of gold?"

"Jack," Daniel's voice sounded annoyed.

"No… seriously." He shifted on the floor so he could face his friend. "I wanna know." He turned to his other companion, who sat silently in the corner. "Teal'c, is there a place out there that specializes in Goa'uld vehicle detailing that I should know about? 149.99 gets you a carpet shampoo and one wall plated?"

"I am not aware of such a place, O'Neill."

"Jack," Daniel warned again.

"Daniel."

"Please stop."

"Am I annoying you, Daniel?" Jack stood and moved to face the archeologist who sat in the middle of the room. "Because I have heard that I do tend to do that…"

"Now you're just baiting."

"No," Jack said matter-of-factly.

Daniel opened his eyes and looked at Jack square on. "Yes."

"Nooo."

"Yees."

"No."

"Yes."

"O'Neill, someone is coming." Teal'c's declaration interrupted them and they all moved quickly to the door, all bickering instantly forgotten.

Jack heard the shuffle of booted feet coming down the hall. He gave a brief nod to Teal'c and Daniel, who immediately moved into position. Jack and Teal'c waited on either side of the door ready to pounce on whoever opened it. Daniel stood back in the corner, favoring his injured arm, but waiting at the ready in case his help was needed. The footsteps grew closer and Jack could feel his muscles tense as he prepared to spring. Suddenly the people in the hall stopped. There was a sharp shout of surprise followed by a scuffle and a deep grunt. They heard the tussle end abruptly with a loud slap and a quiet cry. When the footsteps resumed, it sounded as if the owners were now dragging something heavy along the ground. Jack tried to suppress the rage that built up inside his chest, knowing exactly what he'd just heard. They were bringing Carter back to them.

"Move to the back wall and sit down or we'll put her in a different cell," the voice of a Jaffa called out through the door.

Jack sighed and nodded to the other two. He knew he didn't want that. They needed to stay together if there was any chance of escape. Besides, Carter was the only one of them who knew how to hotwire the cell door of a Ha'tak. They all stepped quickly to the wall and slid down it to rest on the floor.

The door whooshed open and three Jaffa stepped inside, dragging Carter between them. Jack gritted his teeth, trying to stay planted where he was supposed to. Reacting now would only make things worse. Beside him, Daniel drew in his breath quickly as he saw the state she was in. Her clothes were torn and blood ran from her forehead, making her hair slick. They could see the burns she'd received from the Al'kesh weapons fire better than they had when she'd been pulled out of the wreckage. The wounds ran down her left side from shoulder to hip. Her head hung weakly as if she didn't have the strength to lift it and her feet dragged limply behind her.

Jack couldn't hide the smirk of satisfaction that rose in his chest when he noticed that one of the Jaffa had fresh blood running from his nose. She had put up a good fight.

The men dropped Carter roughly to the floor. The small grunt that was pushed from her lungs as she landed told Jack that she remained conscious.

She raised her head and looked up at the Jaffa with the bloody nose. A small smile lifted the edges of her mouth. "Come back tomorrow and we can dance again," she told him, then tensed in preparation for the booted foot that connected with the soft tissue of her abdomen. She gave a grunt and drew her legs up to protect her middle. Jack wondered if she even realized she wasn't alone with the Jaffa in the room. Jack and Teal'c moved at the same time, but before they could take two steps from the wall, the Jaffa had their weapons trained on them. They moved, instead, to kneel next to Carter, who was attempting to push herself up off the floor. As soon as the guards had shut the door and moved away, she gave up and lowered herself back down, laying her bruised cheek on the cool tile.

Jack reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Do you really think it's such a good idea to antagonize them like that, Carter?" He couldn't quite keep the edge from his voice.

It didn't seem to faze her. "I learned from the best, Sir." She smiled into the floor. It turned into a grimace when Daniel's assessing hands brushed her hair away from the wound on her hairline, his fingers accidentally glancing across the broken skin. "Hey, Daniel… give me a minute, ok?" She reached up to brush him away.

Daniel snatched his hand back as if it had touched a hot burner. "Sorry, Sam."

"S'all right," she slurred, closing her eyes. "I know you're jus' tryin' to help…"

Jack didn't like how sluggishly she was moving. He leaned down so he could see her face more clearly. It was a kaleidoscope of colors, smudged with bruises, blood, and sweat; but underneath it, she was pale. Her brow was furrowed and her lips pursed as she tried to control her pain. They had all been injured in the field before… none was a stranger to exactly what was happening here and now. Still, Jack couldn't help but feel that this time things were different. "Carter. I know you won't like this, but we need to get a look at you."

She shook her head and seemed to collect herself. "I know that, sir… just not looking forward to it."

"I wouldn't either, Sam," Daniel piped in. "But we need to help you."

She sighed. "Fine. Do what you have to do." Her eyes opened and sought his face. "I make no promises not to hurt you when you're done, though."

"Deal." Daniel chuckled and reached out to brush his fingers across her cheek.

"How can I be of assistance, ColonelCarter?"

"Got a zat?"

"If I did, I would not wish to shoot you with it."

Jack saw what passed for a smile turn up the corners of the Jaffa's mouth. "Ok, here we go, Carter." He waited until she nodded consent and then he and Teal'c shifted her onto her back, trying to ignore the short cry of pain that escaped her lips before she was able to squelch it.

Daniel moved next to her and took her hand in his free one. Her eyes looked up questioningly at him. Jack knew what she was thinking; she wasn't some prissy girl who needed to have her hand held. She was a soldier and it wasn't her first rodeo… but he knew Daniel. The man felt he should be doing something to help her even if she thought she didn't need it. "Just humor me, ok?" he told her. His relief was obvious when she didn't say anything and turned her attention back to Jack.

"Leg's broken," she told him. "Happened in the crash."

Jack nodded, trying to keep it professional. "Anything else we should know?"

"There are two of you, sir."

He grinned back at her to cover his worry. "As long as they're both good looking." So much for professionalism.

"No problem there, sir," she said with a quiet giggle.

He gave her a stern look. "You know the rules."

She tried to squelch another snicker, which didn't seem to be difficult after the prodding began. The worst of it was her leg and the burns she'd received when their vehicle had been hit. He didn't think she had anything more than a mild concussion, which was confirmed when she told him her two Jacks had finally combined into one. Still, Jack could sense his anger growing as his questing hands uncovered wounds he knew she didn't get in the crash. Most were superficial cuts and bruising, but that didn't matter to the General when he lifted her shirt to reveal a pretty impressive burn on her stomach.

He winced. "Pain stick?"

She nodded. Their eyes met in silent communication. It was an art they'd mastered over the last eight years.

"We need to set your leg," Jack finally moved his eyes away.

"I know." She winced when Jack ran his fingers carefully along its length.

He did not want to do this. He was going to hurt her. Bad. He couldn't help thinking he should never have come back out with the team after all that had taken place over the last couple of weeks. But then, the rest of the team didn't know about those winds of change that were blowing in just yet, and if he weren't here, she still would be. He decided this way was better despite the looming task.

"I think it's broken in two places. They'll both need to be moved back in place." He could feel the swelling and fever burning under her pant leg. "Daniel, why don't you move up to her head and hold her shoulders… Teal'c, I could use your help to keep her hips still." He looked at Sam, regret already showing in his eyes. "This is going to hurt."

"I know," she repeated and gave him a sympathetic look. It shook him that she was considering the pain it would cause him to inflict more upon her. "Just consider it payback." He knew she was referring to their time spent in Antarctica so many years ago. They'd been trapped there and she'd had to set his broken leg. Inexperienced with such things, she'd caused quite a lot of unnecessary pain. He pursed his lips and met her eyes. "I don't want payback," he told her, then moved away and started to unlace her boot.

OoOoOoO

Sam knew what was coming… well, in theory. She'd never actually had to have a bone set without anesthesia before. She knew from experience that it looked pretty painful, and judging from the way her leg felt when Jack's fingers pressed just a little too hard, it was going to be an experience she'd not soon forget. She tried to let him know she was going to do fine… she wasn't going to lose it. She would try not to make it worse for him than it had to be. Still, she couldn't stop the hiss that escaped her lips when he started working to get her boot off her swollen foot. It had already grown uncomfortably tight and was not going to just slide off. "Why don't you tell us what you learned while you were with our pals out there?" she heard him ask. She knew he was trying to distract her, and decided it was probably a pretty good idea.

Sam gritted her teeth and fought to speak through the pain. "I'm not sure. They kept asking me about my father." Her breath hissed as the shoe came off her foot followed by her sock.

"Pink?" Jack's eyebrows lifted questioningly as he inspected her toenails with a slight smirk.

"It's just a color, sir." She was actually more of a natural shade person, really. Cassie was the one who insisted she try something new. If she remembered right, "sassy" was the term the young girl had used.

"And such a girlie one at that, Carter."

"Do you want me to kick your butt, sir?" A sudden pain shot down her leg and she hissed.

Jack winced, and tried to position himself at a good angle, reaching out to grasp her leg firmly with both hands. Sam felt herself tensing in preparation for what was to come, all thoughts of nail polish rushing out of her mind. Daniel moved her so her head and shoulders were propped up on his lap behind her. His free hand settled on her shoulder, careful not to touch the burns there. Teal'c moved to put his hands on her hips. She felt the pressure as he held them down against the floor.

"Your father?" Jack asked bringing her back to his earlier question.

"Well… they were asking about Selmac, really," she managed to get out before Jack gave a sharp pull to try to set the break highest up on her leg. Sam couldn't hold in the sharp cry that escaped her lips. Daniel's hand tightened on her shoulder and Jack's face tensed. He tugged again. "God!" she called out. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"What do they want with Selmac?" Jacks voice sounded choked. He tugged again and she whimpered.

"I…. don… don't…. know," she panted. "Something about…the… the Stargate." She cried out again at a final tug. The room started to spin and the tears she'd held at bay rolled down her cheeks.

"I think I have the first break set, Sam." Neither of them noticed the slip as he called her by her name, but Daniel and Teal'c exchanged a look. "Do you want to rest a minute before I move on to the other break?"

She shook her head. "Just get it over with." Her eyes closed against the waves of agony that were pouring through her from her limb. She wasn't sure how she'd take more, but she knew she had no choice.

"The Stargate?" Jack asked. "Ba'al knows more about the Stargate than all the scientists on Earth combined."

Sam nodded. "I don't know why, but I gathered from the Jaffa who were interrogating me that there's something else…" she broke off when Jack pulled on the lower part of her leg. It was getting harder to dampen her cries. This one was louder to her ears and she saw both Jack and Teal'c flinch.

Daniel's hand moved to settle on her forehead and he leaned over her to cradle her head. "You're doing great, Sam." She reached up with her hand and he moved his so she could grab it. Maybe she did need some support, after all.

"Something else, ColonelCarter?" Teal'c took up the task of distraction when Jack appeared unable to speak.

She gave another cry as he pulled again. "Not… the gate… itself." Now the room wasn't just spinning; black dots were swimming in front of her eyes and sweat was running down her face. Her breathing came in short gasps that caught in her chest. "An address…" she continued. Another tug had her sobbing openly, all sense of modesty forgotten. "God, Jack! It's not there yet?"

Jack was tense from exertion and his own private pain; his face determined, as if he could will the bone to cooperate. "Just a little bit more, I swear," he told her.

Daniel leaned down. His voice was quiet and comforting when he spoke. "A gate address? Is it one we know?"

She shook her head. "There's something… special... something about…" another tug and she screamed. Her whole body started shaking.

"Something about?" Daniel questioned.

"… about… 9th… Chevron." She got it out, but then couldn't talk anymore as Jack gave one last pull and she felt the bone slide in place. The whole room went black, but only for a moment. Sam felt relief as she realized the worst was over. She let out a heavy sigh that ended up more of a sob, and her muscles seemed to sink to the floor. Before she knew it, her upper body was lifted away from Daniel's lap and she was drawn into a tight embrace.

Jack.

She knew it was him. She tried to wrap her arms around him, but couldn't find the energy to lift them. She heard him whispering in her ear. "I'm sorry."

"Not… your fault," she whispered back into his chest. Then she passed out.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

That's it for chapter 2, folks. I hope there weren't too many distracting mistakes... I tried to catch them all, but I'm in desperate need of a beta reader. I'll post chapter three tomorrow...

Thanks for continuing this journey with me... especially since it's my first time out. I appreciate your kind words.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I am really enjoying writing this story. The whump comes and goes, as does the hurt/comfort, but that's not what the story is about... it just happens. I never knew I could be so sadistic! Poor Sam! I am grateful for all of the wonderful feedback and beta reader offers I'm getting. I'm going to start taking some of you up on that offer pretty quickly... possibly as soon as chapter four. :0)

**Disclaimer: **They are not mine, but are MGM's... and possibly someone else's. I can never keep track.

I love the reviews! Keep 'em coming!

**The Ninth Chevron**

**Chapter 3**

There wasn't a lot that surprised Jack anymore. He'd blown right past the unthinkable the day he first stepped through the Stargate. Since then, he'd had what a lot of people would consider to be a pretty remarkable life. To the people on the outside, the ones who had clearance anyway, it seemed that he'd had pretty much anything a person could ask for; a job with purpose, friends who would do anything for him, the respect of an entire military establishment. Hell, he practically knew the meaning of life… his life, anyway.

That was what they saw. He saw it differently. He saw himself as a simple soldier. Point, aim, shoot. That was him.

Daniel… now Daniel had a purpose. He was out to right every wrong that existed in the universe. Find a child who was enslaved, or a society that was dominated by a cruel tyrant, or a people who weren't free to think for themselves… or a cat stuck up in a tree and Daniel was there to rescue them. At least in concept.

And Teal'c? Well, Teal'c was Mr. Leader of the Free Jaffa. He had tasted the success of accomplishing his first goal, to see his people fall away from their false gods, and was now moving on to phase two. In fact, he didn't doubt that when he and Carter dropped their little bombshell on the team, the Jaffa would be back on Dakara faster than you could say, "your mother was a snakehead."

Carter… well, Carter was Carter… the miracle worker. The brains of the whole operation. Without her, there would be no SGC, no Stargate program, and if you got right down to it… no Earth. She was the true universal soldier. She'd see the problem, create the plan to tackle it, build the doohickey to make the plan work, and then march right up the hill with weapon in hand and risk her life to make damn sure it happened. She was She-Ra. She was Xena. She was Carter.

She was passed out in his arms.

"Is she ok?" Daniel asked beside him.

Jack brushed her hair from her face and looked down at her slack features. "For now, I think so," he said with a husky voice. "We should probably take advantage of the time she's out and take care of these burns as best we can."

Daniel nodded and moved to grab the canteen he'd left sitting against the wall. The Jaffa had taken their weapons and flack vests, but left the water.

"We will also need to immobilize ColonelCarter's leg," Teal'c said.

Daniel laughed sarcastically as he lowered himself back down next to Sam and Jack. "Got anything we can use for a splint?"

Jack shook his head. "We'll have to use her other leg for now." He lowered Sam to the floor and took off his BDU jacket. He threw it to Teal'c, leaving him in his black T. "We'll need to tear these up into strips to tie the leg down. We'll use the rest to clean and wrap the burns. Can you take care of that, T?"

"I will, O'Neill." Teal'c shrugged out of his own jacket and accepted what was left of Daniel's as well.

Jack didn't want to tear up Carter's jacket in case she started to show signs of shock and needed it for warmth. He did, however, need to get it off of her in order to take a look at the burns that ran down her left side. He began the tedious task of trying to remove it from her left arm without scraping the damaged skin.

"I'd like to get a look at that arm, too, Daniel," Jack looked up at his friend while he spoke.

"It's fine, Jack… just a bad sprain, I think." He glanced back down at Sam. "Certainly nothing to be worried about right now."

"Still," Jack told him, "I'd like to check it again."

Daniel nodded and accepted the strips of cloth Teal'c handed him. The Jaffa had tied most of them together to make two long ropes of green. Daniel gave them to Jack, who began tying the first around both of Sam's legs just above the knees. Teal'c knelt down and took the second back to begin tying it around her shins.

"She's not going to like being bound like that," Daniel mentioned.

"I wouldn't like it either, but I don't see that we have a choice. I don't want to have to set the bones again."

Jack cringed at the memory of Sam's cries and a quick look at the other two made him think they were remembering the same thing. No. They definitely didn't want to have to go through that again. The reality of the situation, though… it was quite likely they would have to do it again at some point. If they didn't get out of here soon. He didn't want to think about what the Jaffa would do to her if they took her for questioning again. Or worse yet, if Ba'al himself arrived to oversee the interrogation… Teal'c seemed to have been thinking along the same lines.

"If they come for her again we should endeavor to convince them to take one of us."

Jack nodded. "So we're in agreement, then."

"It may do no good, guys," Daniel jumped in. "If they're asking her questions about Selmac, they may have no interest in us at all." He picked up one of the small strips and poured water on it so he could begin wiping the blood and sand from her face.

"And what is this about a ninth chevron?" Jack didn't claim to know a lot about the workings of the Stargate, but he'd learned quite a bit over the course of the last year as head of the SGC. He'd never even seen reference to the use of more than eight chevrons to dial an address.

Jack wet a cloth of his own and moved to Sam's left side to take a look at the burns there. Now that her jacket was off, he could see that her arm was damaged as well. He winced as he began carefully cleaning the blistered skin, picking out shards of rock and metal as he went. He felt a lot more comfortable starting on the limb, trying to push to the back of his mind that he'd have to eventually move to areas that were a lot more intimate. His eyes glanced at the shredded material at her waist and hip.

"I don't know," Daniel said, pulling him from his thoughts. What were they talking about again? "We learned when you built the device that took you to the Asgard homeworld that with enough energy, we can dial an address in another galaxy by using an eighth chevron. I just can't see how anyone could possibly find the kind of power that would be necessary to dial an address that uses nine."

"I have also never heard of anyone using nine chevrons, DanielJackson."

"But it must be possible, Teal'c, if Ba'al is trying to get the information out of Sam."

"But it's information she doesn't have. And where does Jacob fall into this?"

"If Ba'al thinks Jacob somehow came to possess this knowledge, he may extrapolate that the information was then shared with ColonelCarter." Teal'c sat back out of the way and watched the two men work over Sam.

"And beyond that, he may think that if he is unable to get the information from her, he may at least be able to lure Jacob here by revealing that he's holding her."

"Jacob's dead, Daniel."

"I know that, Jack, but it's possible Ba'al doesn't. It's only been a few weeks."

"Well then, maybe we should just clue him in. At least then he won't feel the need to use her as bait. We may even be able to convince him that we don't know anything."

Daniel shook his head. "I don't know if that's such a good idea, Jack. Ba'al may just decide we're of no use to him then and kill us."

Jack let out a frustrated breath. "We need to get that door open."

"Well, Sam's not exactly in any shape to be doing anything about that right now."

"I'll get it open… just give me a few minutes to rest, first." The two men jumped a bit at the unexpected voice that drifted up to them.

Jack leaned over Sam as she fought to open her eyes. "Welcome back, Dorothy." He smiled when she finally succeeded and he was greeted by her baby blues. "You ok?"

She gave a little nod and drew her hand up to her chest for a week thumbs up. "Yep." Her eyes roamed the room quickly to get her bearings. "How long was I out?" She still sounded groggy.

"Not long. We finished the splint."

She glanced down her body and her brow furrowed when she saw that her legs were tied together. "That's just not right."

"It was either that or take your pants off and use them to splint it."

Her eyes shifted from Jack, to Daniel, and over to Teal'c. He knew she loved them all, but… "Nope," she said quickly. "This is good."

"How are you feeling?" Daniel's voice held concern.

"I'm fine."

Jack reached for the canteen at Daniel's side. The two exchanged a knowing look. She was not fine. "You should drink something."

She nodded and let Jack help her raise herself up onto her elbows. He brought the canteen to her lips and watched her sip carefully. She stopped sooner than he thought she should.

"Don't think my stomach will keep down any more," she confessed, lowering herself back to the floor. "It's a bit grumpy."

"We'll try some more later, then," Jack told her. He grabbed up a strip of cloth to cover the burns on her arm, then thought better of it. He didn't want the material to stick to the wounds. He gestured to Sam's hip and raised his eyebrow in an unspoken question. She nodded and reached down to unsnap her pants. Daniel and Jack helped her move them down enough to expose the burns without jarring her leg too much. Jack reached over and grabbed up her jacket from the floor. He draped it over her torso, leaving just her hip exposed. She smiled her thanks and looked up at the ceiling while he got to work cleaning the wound.

"A gate address that uses eight chevrons takes us to another galaxy," Sam reflected a few moments later, clueing Jack in that she'd been conscious a lot longer than he'd thought. "All of the addresses that we've dialed so far with the exception of Atlantis and the Asgard homeworld were in our own galaxy… seven chevrons." She sighed. "Which leaves to question…"

"Where would a ninth Chevron take us?" Daniel finished her thought for her.

She nodded.

"And what does Ba'al intend to find there?" Teal'c rose and stepped slowly toward the door.

Jack knew what he was thinking. "You don't suppose any of those Jaffa out there are your undercover buddies?"

"I do not know, O'Neal. Since the victory at Dakara, most Jaffa have laid down their arms in celebration and embraced their new freedom." He frowned. "Some, however, continue to choose the path of servitude to false gods."

Carter absently rubbed a hand across her stomach and Jack tried not to think about the intentional damage that had been done there. "The ones I've met so far seemed to be pretty loyal to Ba'al."

"But it only takes one," Daniel supplied. "If we can find just one who is wavering…"

"They usually find us, Daniel; not the other way around." Jack threw down the bloody rag he held and reached for another. He doused it with water from the canteen before turning his attention back to Carter's side. "Besides, I don't want to have to rely on the hope that we'll find a sympathetic Jaffa."

"Indeed."

"I'm worried about Ba'al." Carter winced and closed her eyes as Jack found a particularly sensitive spot with the cloth. His hand stilled a moment and then continued with his work, his touch a bit more gentle.

"We're going to try our damndest to not let them take you again, Carter."

"No. Not that, Sir," her lips twitched. "I think we need to find out what he's up to. He may be on to something here that can mean very bad things for the rest of us."

"And how do we do that?"

"Well, I'm guessing the reason he hasn't shown himself yet is because he's still in transit."

"And when he gets here…" Daniel seemed to be following her, and he didn't look happy. Jack knew he wasn't going to like where this was going.

Sam nodded. "When he interrogates me, I'll be drilling him for information, too."

That was what he thought she was going to say. "No."

Jack said it so forcefully, Carter jumped. "We need to figure out what he's planning, Sir."

"Uh uh," Jack shook his head. There was no way in hell she was going back in there with Ba'al if there was anything he could do to stop it. His mind flashed back to his days spent with the Goa'uld system lord. His particularly nasty brand of interrogation was something he'd never be able to truly get over.

"Sir…"

"No, Carter." He sat back on his haunches and stared her down.

"I am in agreement with O'Neill, ColonelCarter."

She raised confused eyes to the Jaffa. "Teal'c, you can't possibly want to leave without finding out…"

"O'Neill believes that it is unacceptable that you be taken for interrogation again. If someone should go with the Jaffa and attempt to gain information from Ba'al…"

"It will be me," Jack finished emphatically. He'd taken it once; he could do it again.

Carter looked down at his hands as they continued their painful work. "No it won't," she said softly.

"What?"

Her eyes looked up to meet his confidently. "I said… no it won't, sir."

The three men went still. She seemed so certain. Sam's eyes remained locked with the General's. He saw something behind them that filled his gut with dread.

Daniel was the first to find his voice. "Sam… what did you do?"

She moved her gaze to Daniel. "I made sure they wouldn't be bothering any of you, for a while at least."

"How?"

"I let them think I had the information they're looking for."

"Why would you do that?" Daniel seemed almost pained as he glanced over her already battered body and then back up to her face.

Jack felt a mix of anger, frustration and fear. "Because Carter's too stubborn for her own good, that's why."

"You know it was the right thing to do, sir."

Jack didn't want to hear any of it.

Still, she continued. "I'm already hurt. You're all in good shape," her eyes drifted to Daniel's arm that still hung in a sling. "Well, relatively speaking."

Jack took off his hat and rubbed his hand angrily through his hair.

"You know I'm right, sir. The longer you three stay in good condition, the more likely we'll be to get out of here. As long as I continue to be the focus of their attention, the team only has one liability."

"You're not a liability, Carter." Jack's soft response was in contrast with the tension in his face.

"On this team, right now, yes, sir… I am." Her voice shook with determination. "At least this way I can still try to find out what Ba'al is up to while you guys figure a way out of this room and off the ship."

"She may be right, Jack." Daniel seemed to find the words distasteful even as he said them.

Teal'c thought for a moment. His face betrayed no emotion, but Jack saw his jaw muscle jump. "Indeed," he finally replied. "ColonelCarter's logic is sound."

Jack lowered his head in defeat. They were right and he knew it. He just didn't have to like it. "So when the Jaffa come back…" He looked into Carter's pale bruised face. Her chin was squared with that stubborn confidence that he both loved and hated.

"If Ba'al wants me, sir, he can come and get me."

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That's it for chapter three... again, I love your comments. Chapter four is almost finished. I hope I can post it by tomorrow night.

Please review!

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	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **I know I made you wait a couple of days for this chapter... life got a little busy and to be honest, I had to fight for this chapter. I haven't ever written a complete multi-chapter story before and I'm finding the middle chapters are just taking longer to get down (not that this is even the middle yet)... and yes, I do recognize that I overused the word 'chapter' in that mini-monologue. It's just because it's midnight and my brain is fried. Thanks for continuing on with me. I love the company.

**Disclaimer: **They are not mine, no... but I'd take them if they'd have me :0)

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_Jack lowered his head in defeat. They were right and he knew it. He just didn't have to like it. "So when the Jaffa come back…" He looked into Carter's pale bruised face. Her chin was squared with that stubborn confidence that he both loved and hated._

_"If Ba'al wants me, sir, he can come and get me."_

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**The Ninth Chevron**

**Chapter 4**

General Hank Landry stared stoically through the clear glass window of the conference room at the activity bustling in the embarkation room below. It had been just two days since he'd first laid eyes on the magnificent piece of technology sitting at the center of the large room. Just a week since he'd learned of its existence.

Unbelievable. That's what this whole thing was. He was standing there staring at honest-to-God science fiction with one question overshadowing all the others that were swimming around in his head. Who in their right mind had decided to put him in charge? He shook his head with a chuckle. Leave it to Jack O'Neill to throw him a life-altering curve ball right at the penultimate point of his career. He'd studied the files enough to know that this station seemed to be resurrection central for retiring officers' military ambitions. And why wouldn't it be? A man would have to be crazy to turn his back on an assignment like this.

He'd watched this well-oiled machine run, almost completely on its own, for the last two days. Sure, he'd been needed for a few minor decisions. For the most part, though, he'd felt like the extra screw left over after assembling the side table he'd purchased to christen his new apartment. These people were the best of the best. And they were still Jack's people. For a few more days, anyway. None of them knew it yet, but Hank wasn't going anywhere when Jack returned. He wondered how they'd take it. The love and loyalty he'd seen expressed toward their commanding officer was commendable, but he'd expected that. Over the last week he'd had the opportunity to do a little informative reading through his old friend's mission files. He hadn't made it through even a third of them yet, and he was already wondering how on Earth he'd ever be able to follow in the footsteps of one Jack O'Neill.

"Guess I'll just have to step away from his tracks and make my own," he told himself quietly. His words were drowned out by the sudden sound of the klaxons blaring and then Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman's confident voice over the comm., "Unscheduled offworld activation."

General Landry quickly moved to the staircase that led from the conference room to the command center directly below. Harriman spoke to him the instant he stepped beside his chair. "It's Chancellor Aldar on P3X-469. Audio and visual."

Landry nodded. "Patch it through."

"Yes, sir."

The viewer in front of him flickered and then he was graced with the image of an older white-bearded man who seemed to have purchased his entire wardrobe at the bait and tackle shop down the road from O'Neill's cabin. He cleared his throat and put on a smile. "Chancellor Aldar, I trust the negotiations are going well?"

Aldar made a nervous sound that instantly put Landry on edge. Something was wrong. "I regret that I must inform you that your team has yet to arrive for the negotiations."

"What do you mean they haven't arrived? They left here almost thirty-six hours ago. They were scheduled to check back in with us in just a few hours."

"It appears they were intercepted en route to the Hall of Ra."

"Intercepted by whom?"

"It was reported that a ship of the gods flew in and took them. I was not personally there to see it, but I trust…"

"Are you talking about the Goa'uld?"

The man looked confused for a second before recollection dawned on his face. "Goa'uld… yes, yes I do believe that is what your Dr. Jackson called them."

Landry tried not to let his frustration show, but losing SG-1 was not exactly the way he wanted to start his tenure at the SGC. "So they've been missing for almost two days and you just now decided to let us know?"

"I must apologize, but the minute we heard the gods had returned, we scattered to hide in our shelters. We have only just returned to our city. Our first priority was to contact and inform you of the fate your people seem to have suffered."

Landry crossed his arms in front of him. "I'd like to send another team to investigate… see if we can discover which Goa'uld may have taken our team."

Aldar nodded. "Of course, of course. I do hope you are able to find something helpful. I will have a guide meet you at our Stargate."

"Thank you. They'll be there momentarily." Landry signaled Walter to end the transmission and gave the order that would send SG-3 to P3X-469.

"You just had to go on one last adventure, didn't you, Jack?" he mumbled under his breath. He didn't think anyone could hear him, but saw the corners of Harriman's mouth twitch just a bit. The man had really good ears.

Ooooooo

Jack sat with his back against the wall, his eyes staring at nothing in particular on the other side of the cell with Carter stretched out beside him mumbling in her sleep. He realized that when Sam had a fever, she could hold almost an entire conversation with herself. He would think it was charming if it didn't worry him so much. She'd worked for as long as she could on the door controls, Teal'c holding her upright. Then her fever had spiked and Jack had ordered her to rest. Not long after, the Jaffa had returned. He'd feared they'd come for her, but it ended up they were just there to deposit a little slop and leave them again. They'd decided to let her sleep. He'd eaten with the others and then settled himself down next to her for his turn at watch. Over the hours Daniel breathed heavily. Teal'c snored. Carter talked. And Jack brooded.

"Jack." Daniel sat down next to him. His arm was no longer in a sling, the wrist and forearm now tightly wrapped in strips of the destroyed green BDU jacket. He reached out with it and felt Sam's forehead, frowning.

"Yeah?"

"She's going to pull this off."

"I know."

"No, Jack. I don't think you do." Daniel leaned his head back against the wall. "She was good when you were here with us in the thick of things."

"Yeah."

"She was good then. She's better now."

"What's your point, Daniel?" He didn't need the archeologist to tell him Carter did her job very well.

"SG-1 is her team. She'll do what she can to keep us safe just like you would have when we were your team… just like you would have this time if she hadn't beaten you to it."

Jack sighed. "I get it, Daniel. I really do." He met his friend's eyes. "I haven't been out of the field that long. I haven't forgotten what it's like."

"I just don't want you to be upset with her for making a decision she had to make."

"Well, you can go rest easy. I'm not mad. I may not be happy about the way things are playing out… but I'm not mad. Well, I'm a little mad at the Jaffa who shot up the dune buggy." He looked down at his fingers where he was playing with a couple loose strings at the back of his hat. What he wouldn't give for a yo-yo. He looked back up at Daniel. "I mean it." He said. "Go rest." He pointed to where Teal'c lay in the far corner. "Over there."

"It's your turn, Jack."

"Oh." Daniel settled back more comfortably against the wall and Jack got up to move next to the snoring Jaffa because it was what he was expected to do. What he really wanted to do was curl up next to Carter and find some real sleep.

Oooooooo

Carter woke feeling like death warmed over. She knew she had a fever, but it wasn't incredibly high… just high enough to make her muscles ache and cause a bit of a chill across her sensitive skin. Nope, the fever wasn't all that bad. Her leg, on the other hand left her wanting to cut her limb off at the hip. She suppressed the groan that tried to rise out of her throat. She was not going to give in to a little pain… besides, she knew she'd better get used to it because she had a feeling it would get a lot worse today.

"Morning, Sam," Daniel smiled down at her. He handed over a canteen.

She took it and let him help her into a sitting position against the wall. Her burns pulled when she moved, but she was tired of lying on her back. "Morning," she answered and took a swig from the nearly empty canteen. "Anything change while I was out?"

Daniel shook his head. "Only Jack's mood." He nodded over to the General, who had removed the plate from the door controls and was staring inside like it was a snake about to leap out and bite him.

"Better or worse?"

He pursed his lips and threw her a sardonic look. "What do you think?"

She chuckled. "Yeah."

"You doing ok?" he asked her.

"Daniel," she told him, "Stop asking me that."

He cringed a bit. "Sorry."

"Hey, maybe they'll throw me in a sarcophagus today when they're finished and I'll come back all better."

"Not funny." Jack threw himself down next to Sam. He didn't look happy. "You need to drink as much water as you can."

"I know," she told him. "I need to pace myself, though, and there's not much in here." She shook the canteen so he could hear the hollow splashing inside.

"I think Teal'c has more in his."

She nodded. "Don't go for it just yet." She shifted to try to relieve some of the pressure off her hip. "I was able to strip a couple of the wires in the panel yesterday. I need to let you know what to do so you can keep working on it while I'm gone."

Jack nodded, but she noticed his shoulders grow a bit more tense.

"I figured we'd be playing with crystals," Daniel didn't seem to notice.

"The crystals store information and act as the power source, but basic wiring is still needed to transfer data and energy from the crystals elsewhere in the ship to the panel in this cell." She stopped to take another sip from the canteen before continuing.

"There are three more wires that need to be stripped. Two are black and one," her eyes lifted to the ceiling as she tried to remember, "the other one was green. You'll have to be careful not to electrocute yourself because you're basically clawing off the rubber with your fingernails."

"We'll let Daniel do that bit," Jack said with a smirk. "His fingers are closer to yours in size."

Daniel threw Jack a look. "Ha, ha. Very funny, Jack."

"O'Neill is correct, Daniel Jackson. Your hands are indeed smaller than the General's or mine." Teal'c came to join them, sitting in front of Sam and crossing his legs.

"Yeah, well Jack can just stick his fat fingers in the box. I'll supervise."

"My fingers are not fat." Jack held up his hand to prove it. "They're just not dainty like yours and Carter's."

"Mine are not dainty, either, sir." Carter looked down to spy her thin fingers. The fingernails were clipped short and finished with clear polish that had peeled in patches while she worked on the box yesterday. There were calluses in various places from where she cradled her weapon when she walked and she didn't bother counting the scars that she'd accumulated over the years of battle and mishaps with various devices. To her, they looked almost manly. She didn't know why that suddenly bothered her. Her eyes looked up to meet Jack's.

"You just don't want to admit it, Carter," he joked, but his eyes said more. Suddenly she wondered what it would feel like to have his fingers wrapped around hers. _Soon_, she reminded herself.

He seemed to be telling himself the same thing. Suddenly neither was smiling and Daniel shifted uncomfortably.

"What do we do after we strip the wires, Colonel Carter?"

Sam cleared her throat and turned to Teal'c. "It'll probably take you hours just to do that. It's not an easy task and it shouldn't be rushed unless we want a charred SG-1 member."

At that, the door opened and three Jaffa stepped in. SG-1 tensed as they approached. Jack recognized the one who'd had the broken nose yesterday as he stepped forward and smirked at Sam's tied legs. "We've been sent for the girl."

Jack tisked him. He had always been the one with the best poker face. "You shouldn't call her that… it ticks her off."

"She prefers Colonel," Daniel supplied.

Jack nodded. "Or Carter."

"I prefer Colonel Carter, O'Neill." Teal'c said.

"My friends call me Sam."

"But that's not you…" Jack held up a corrective finger to the three Jaffa.

"Silence!" One of the Jaffa held back, his staff weapon pointed at them while the other two approached Sam.

"If any of you are Free Jaffa undercover, now would be a great time to stage a coup." Jack's body tensed beside her, but his face didn't show it.

Sam sighed as they continued to advance forward and grabbed her roughly under the arms to lift her between them. The action jarred her leg and she couldn't squelch the small yelp before it escaped her lips. She gave a warning look to Jack before he had the chance to move. He settled back reluctantly against the wall, his eyes never leaving her until the door separated them and she was on her own.

Even if Sam had not visited there recently, she would have known the way to the interrogation rooms blindfolded. She'd memorized the floor plans for a Goa'uld Ha'Tak years ago. They were on the same level as the prisoner cells. She tried to use the time it took to get there to steel herself against what she knew was coming.

Finally, they arrived at the interrogation room and the door in front of her swished open. Ba'al stood in the center of the room, a pain stick clutched in his hands. He smiled widely at her and gestured for the Jaffa to bring her into the room. They obediently dragged her inside and stopped just in front of the Goa'uld before dropping her like a dead weight to the floor. She pushed herself up with her hands and looked at him.

"Welcome, Colonel Carter," he told her with the deep voice of the snake inside him. "It's been a long, long time."

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Chapter 5 is right on schedule to be posted tomorrow night...

I hope you're still having fun... I know I am. Thanks for all the wonderfully kind words you keep sending my way.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Thanks for sticking with me this long! I am trying to respond to all the reviews I'm getting, but it's taking me some time. I truly appreciate all the feedback- and I thank everyone who is taking the time to just drop by sans reviews, too. I have to admit, I feel a little dirty after having written this chapter... I didn't know I was capable of such cruelty. ;0)

**Disclaimer: **Stargate is not mine.. though I built one out of legos and it's sitting on my dresser.

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_Even if Sam had not visited there recently, she would have known the way to the interrogation rooms blindfolded. She'd memorized the floor plans for a Goa'uld Ha'Tak years ago. They were on the same level as the prisoner cells. She tried to use the time it took to get there to steel herself against what she knew was coming._

_Finally, they arrived at the interrogation room and the door in front of her swished open. Ba'al stood in the center of the room, a pain stick clutched in his hands. He smiled widely at her and gestured for the Jaffa to bring her into the room. They obediently dragged her inside and stopped just in front of the Goa'uld before dropping her like a dead weight to the floor. She pushed herself up with her hands and looked at him._

_"Welcome, Colonel Carter," he told her with the deep voice of the snake inside him. "It's been a long, long time."_

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**The Ninth Chevron**

**Chapter 5**

"It's nice to see you again," Ba'al greeted her as if they were old friends. He stood proudly in a black tunic lined with gold, his long fingers home to several large gemstones. The grand smile on his face when he spoke to her seemed genuine, but she knew better.

"I'm sure it is," She allowed her gaze to wander around the room, her stomach beginning to flutter nervously. This room was different than the empty one she'd been in yesterday. It had the look of a complete medical facility. There were machines everywhere; some of which she had the unfortunate ability to decipher their purpose, and others she couldn't even begin to guess at. There were instruments, too, but she decided not to focus on those. To the right sat what looked like an operating table, but it appeared to be lying atop some sort of hydraulic system. The entire setup made her cringe. It was so cold… sterile. A total house of horrors.

Ba'al leaned over and said something she couldn't quite make out to one of the Jaffa, who nodded and moved to the back of the room; out of sight. He returned carrying a device that consisted of a couple metal rods and some straps of leather. She knew what it looked like, but decided she had to be wrong.

Ba'al chuckled, reading her expression. "Yes, I intend to properly splint your leg, Colonel," he said pleasantly.

"Why?"

"As you probably already know, you were extremely lucky that this particular break didn't kill you. From what I understand, a broken femur can be quite dangerous as the strength of the muscles alone is enough to move the bone in some very damaging ways."

"What concern is it to you?" She didn't know what game he was playing, but she was sure the splint wasn't meant as a gift from the depths of his heart. She gestured to the devices in the room. "You're just going to kill me, anyway."

"True," he said matter-of-factly. "But, since I am without a sarcophagus on this particular vessel, I need to make sure you do not die until I have retrieved the information I seek."

No sarcophagus. Damn.

Ba'al gave another nod and two of the Jaffa grabbed her roughly off the floor, carrying her over to the table. She struggled, but every movement jarred her wounds. She felt something warm and wet seeping from the waistband of her pants and knew the skin at her hip had broken open. They flipped her over onto her back and held her down to the table while the third grabbed her right wrist and pulled it to the metal cuff near her ear. Her other elbow connected solidly with someone's jaw and she heard him cry out. A second later, she felt a heavy blow land on her own. She saw stars and the room spun before the edges went dark. Before she was completely aware again, they managed to wrestle her other wrist into its own vise on the other side of her head.

She cried out when one roughly tore at Jack's makeshift splint. Every brush against her damaged leg was torture. Finally, the bindings undone, they positioned the splint on her leg and began to fasten the leather straps. She grunted, trying not to let on how much they were hurting her, but she had a feeling Ba'al was well aware. He stood without emotion and watched his Jaffa secure her. When they were finished with the splint, they strapped her legs into two more cuffs near the foot of the bed and stepped back, bowing to their god.

Ba'al came forward and tested the splint, leaning a little harder on the leather straps than he had to. "I would like to spare you any further discomfort, Colonel." He met her eyes and then gently reached out to wipe the small trail of blood from the corner of her mouth. "Perhaps you can tell me what you know and we can skip all the unpleasantness."

She jerked her head away from his fingers. "You're not fooling anyone. You thrive on unpleasantness."

He laughed outright this time. "I do believe you've found me out." She wondered how he could possibly seem charming, but there was something in his demeanor that appeared so unthreatening… like a bloom hiding the teeth on a Venus flytrap.

"What do you want to know?"

"I need the location of a planet."

"Got a particular planet in mind, or will any address do?"

Without warning, Ba'al smacked her hard across the cheek. It took a second for his face to refocus before her eyes. It looked just as tranquil as it had when she entered. "I do not play games when I am seeking information, Colonel Carter." He turned and walked over to a table, fingering one of the instruments laying there. "As I'm sure your General O'Neill can tell you." He picked up the object and ran his fingers lovingly over it, its metal surface reflecting the light.

Sam squared her shoulders and clenched her teeth, bringing her steely eyes to his.

He raised his eyebrows and turned to face her again. "Oh, ruffled your feathers with that, did I?"

She lifted her chin a bit more. "What's the name of this planet you are looking for?" she bit out.

"Actually, I don't believe it has a name." He placed the weapon back on the table and returned to her side. "But your father knew where it was."

"Good. Then why don't you just ask him?"

He chuckled and leaned in closer. "Now, Colonel, we both know I can't do that, don't we?" She felt his hand settle comfortably on her leg, the fingers moving in a slight caress.

Sam didn't flinch. "Would you mind backing up a bit? Maybe grab a tic-tac or something?"

His gentle fingers balled into a fist that pushed heavily on her leg. She had no time to ready herself for the assault and cried out as her entire body jerked in reaction to the pain. He ground his knuckles down, his eyes cruel, having lost all pretense of cordiality. "I told you, I don't play games."

"I get it," she couldn't keep her voice from shaking. "No games."

His hand continued its pressure for several seconds, his angular face close enough to hers that she could make out the individual hairs on his chin… and then suddenly it was gone. He smiled and stood to his full height, his pleasant mask back in place. "There, see? We have an understanding."

Carter shook her head and panted through her pain. "What makes you think I know where the planet is?

"Your father wouldn't have gone to his grave without telling someone about its location. He wanted it hidden, not lost. I'm betting that someone was you."

"He probably told a lot of people. He was a part of something much larger than his affiliation with Earth."

"If you're referring to the Tok'ra, you're missing the big picture." Ba'al stepped over to one of the machines and flipped a switch. It came to life with a quiet hum. "Your father wouldn't have told the Tok'ra for the same reason he told you and not the leaders of the Tau'ri."

"And what reason is that?"

"He would have believed the secrets the planet hides are too powerful for any single faction to control… even his allies." He removed an attachment from the device and moved toward her. She thought it looked like something used for suction at a dentist's office. "It's the same reason I can't simply place a symbiote inside that pretty neck and take the information I want."

"You wouldn't have a guarantee the Goa'uld would be willing to play second fiddle. He could take the information from me and use it for his own purposes, leaving you out of the loop." Thank God! The possibility of playing host wasn't high up on her to-do list.

"You see my predicament."

"You still have no solution. I won't tell you anything… especially since I have no idea what is hidden on the planet."

"It's just a small generator."

So that was it. "Powerful enough to allow a gate to dial using the ninth chevron? Doesn't sound small to me."

Ba'al's smile faltered.

Sam's smile reappeared. "So, your Jaffa weren't supposed to let that slip, huh?"

"Have you ever experienced what hot oil can do when it contacts the skin, Colonel Carter?" He held up the device in his hands. At the push of a button, she could hear a gurgle ascending up through the thin metal until it coalesced into a steady stream of hot amber liquid that ran from the small spout on one end. The thin thread of liquid landed on the tile at Ba'al's feet and splashed with a hiss; some of the splatters reaching as far as the skin of Sam's arm, making her wince. She realized Ba'al must have caught some of it on his skin, too, but it didn't appear to faze him in the least.

Sam's throat went dry.

Ba'al touched a button on the side of the bed and suddenly she was moving, rather the table was moving, and taking her with it. It lifted and turned her so she was facing the floor, making her a bit dizzy and pulling on her sore leg. The metal she lay against split in the center, pivoted out around her sides and came back together underneath her, effectively positioning her so she lay on her stomach across its cold surface. The position was awkward and painful, her arms and legs pulled backward by the parts of the table that hadn't shifted, and her chest laying on the short slab below.

She heard Ba'al's voice whisper directly in her ear, his hot breath stirring the wisps of hair at her temple. "If you tell me now, you can save yourself this experience. Let me help you." He sounded so sincere.

"Go to hell," she spat back.

"It is unfortunate you feel that way." Ba'al rose and stepped aside and she could feel the rough hands of a Jaffa as he lifted her shirt up over her shoulders, exposing her back. The cool air brought goose-bumps to her skin… or maybe that was the sudden panic she felt seize her chest. This was really going to happen. She heard the sizzle of the machine as it was brought closer. She tried to clear her mind of where she was and replace it with a calming image. She sucked in her breath and focused on the first thing that popped into her mind. It was a face.

Ooooooo

"We found their transport a few klicks from the Gate," Colonel Reynolds of SG-3 reported through the MALP transmission.

Landry nodded. "Any clues as to what really happened?"

Reynolds sighed. "The vehicle was obviously hit by weapons fire. It was damaged, but not so much that its passengers couldn't have escaped."

"Is that what you think happened?"

"I don't think so. If any of them had, they would have reported in by now." Reynolds removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his head before replacing it and turning his attention back to the camera. "There are quite a few tracks around the wreckage. They appear to be created by a combination of SGC standard issue boots and Jaffa… and we found the body of their guide not far away. He appears to have been killed by a staff weapon." He frowned. "We also found some blood inside the vehicle, so at least one of the passengers was injured."

Landry tucked that information away and continued. "So, it appears as if Aldar was telling us the truth."

"It looks that way, sir."

"Is there any way to tell which Goa'uld is responsible?"

"I don't think so, sir. It looks like a pretty clean snatch and grab. There aren't any bread crumbs to follow here. I think it's time to pursue information from our other sources."

"Get your men home, son."

Reynolds nodded and the transmission ended. The gate winked out and Landry turned to Walter. "Send a message to the Tok'ra." He turned to leave.

"And the Asgard, sir?" Walter called after him.

"Couldn't hurt," he tossed over his shoulder.

Oooooooo

Sam sputtered awake as she was once again doused with ice cold water. She didn't know how long she had been out this time, but she was sure it hadn't been long enough. Her body protested every breath… every subtle twitch of muscle. Over the course of a few short hours, she'd gained intimate knowledge of how several machines in the room worked. She also knew that a painstick applied to a broken bone was something she never wanted to experience again.

All the while, Ba'al apologized for her discomfort, promising it would stop when she told him what he wanted to hear. He repeated the same questions over and over.

"Where is the planet your father told you about?"

"Does it have a Stargate?"

"What's the Gate address?"

Each time, Sam simply closed her eyes and waited to be punished for her silence. Every new form of punishment had her inwardly begging for blessed oblivion, but when her body would finally give in and grant her request, they'd pull her roughly back into the waking world to start over.

This time, before she was even fully aware, the room tilted and her vision blurred. She thought maybe she'd get lucky and pass out again… a well-earned respite. Her thoughts were groggy and her throat ached from screaming. She could feel the blackness rushing to greet her like a long lost friend. She welcomed it.

She was doused again. Her skin seemed to retract against her muscles, but still, her eyes rolled back up into her head and her lids drifted shut.

In the distance she heard Ba'al's voice. "She's through for today. Maybe tomorrow she'll be better persuaded if the pain isn't her own…" It was the last thing she heard before the darkness swallowed her.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I miss Jack! He'll be back in the next chapter... boy, will he be back!

I hope I was able to pull this off ok. I was worried it would come out too gruesome. I was really mean to Carter.

Chapter 6 should be up sometime tomorrow night.

Oh, and by the way... the Venus flytrap does bloom. The flowers are white, in case you were wondering... :0)

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	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Hurt/Comfort ahead... for all of you who said you missed Jack, this one's for you (I include myself here). Thank you guys for continuing to read and review. The story is about half-way there, so we still have some more time to spend together, should you find yourselves so inclined. I was just cracking myself up with some of the banter I am planning for later on in the story, as a matter of fact. Yes, I often find I am a good source for my own amusement. I hope you enjoy chapter 6.

**Disclaimer: **I am using characters who live in a very cool universe, neither of which is mine (the characters, nor the universe). I would send Jack a memo explaining this very thing... but he probably wouldn't read it, anyway.

**A/N #2: **I considered the suggestion that I not post the end of the previous chapter at the beginning of the new one (and I absolutely adore the reviews that come from this person, so I really thought long and hard about it...). In the end, it was my mother who convinced me to leave them in... She said they help her. How can I argue with that? So... for you, mama!

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_She was doused again. Her skin seemed to retract against her muscles, but still, her eyes rolled back up into her head and her lids drifted shut._

_In the distance she heard Ba'al's voice. "She's through for today. Maybe tomorrow she'll be better persuaded if the pain isn't her own…" It was the last thing she heard before the darkness swallowed her._

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron**

**Chapter 6**

Four hours. That's how long she'd been gone. They'd taken her from him and he hoped to God they'd bring her back again whole. Hell, she was in there with Ba'al! The memories of his own endless torture at the hands of the Goa'uld still kept him up some nights and now Carter…

What would he do if she came back broken? What would he do if she didn't come back?

This was supposed to be his last time out… an easy negotiation followed by a homecoming he'd waited eight years for. It was supposed to be easy. Then again, when had his life been easy? When had hers?

Jack had given up on waiting silently in the corner of the cell. He decided he had to be doing something to get his mind off the maddening pictures it insisted on torturing him with; Carter with knives sticking from her chest, Ba'al holding a bottle of acid over her, Sam waking up for the hundredth time in a sarcophagus and praying that the next time she died it would be for good... Sam giving up on them.

He stood at the panel next to the door and played with the exposed wiring inside. His fingernails were raw from scraping away the rubber coating, but he only had one wire to go now. Maybe when she returned, he'd be able to tell her they could get out.

No such luck. He heard the sound of the Jaffa coming down the hall. He quickly took the crystals Teal'c held out to him and replaced them in the cavity of the panel. He then attached the covering plate so the Jaffa couldn't see what they'd been up to.

He had just settled himself next to Daniel on the floor when the door swished open and two Jaffa dragged an unconscious Carter into the cell. They dropped her unceremoniously onto the floor in front of him and left.

Jack moved quickly to her side, noticing that Teal'c and Daniel did the same. His worried gaze met Daniel's. Sam lay in a heap and she wasn't moving. Jack reached out and rolled her over onto his lap so he could see her face, praying she wasn't dead. She moaned as he moved her. They'd taken her jacket and her thin black t-shirt was torn at her side where she'd suffered the blast burns. His fingers brushed over the wet material at the split and pursed his lips when they came back red. He'd bet the burn on her hip had opened up again as well. She was soaked head to foot, her hair sticking to her face and scalp. She was completely unaware as he cradled her and brushed her hair off her forehead, ignoring that his own clothes were growing damp where her body touched his. There were fresh bruises discoloring her relaxed features. He ran a finger gently across her black and blue jaw line, feeling rage at the men who'd struck her.

"Jack?" Daniel questioned.

"I know, Daniel," he said gruffly. He knew this was wrong; knew he shouldn't be showing how affected he was by her silence. He should be holding it in, refusing to touch her like he'd done for eight long years. He just couldn't do it. He'd thought these days were behind him; that he'd never have to hide it from anyone again. They'd both decided. He wasn't supposed to have to endure and hold back again. He was supposed to be back on Earth right now. With her.

Instead he was forced to sit in a cell, useless, while she was a soldier… while she sacrificed herself for her team; for him.

He took in the harshness of the burns on her hip when he moved the material aside, the new blood under her fingernails… his eyes continued down her body- slightly confused by the leg brace- and on to the bare feet that peeked out from under her pant legs. He couldn't see from his angle what had been done to them.

Daniel took a look and winced.

"I know the device that does this," Teal'c supplied, after moving around next to Daniel. "It inserts nodes that send electric pulses into the many nerve endings of the feet, causing the person incredible pain…"

Jack held up a hand. "Stop right there." He didn't want to hear any more.

Teal'c nodded.

"Does it cause any permanent damage?" Daniel asked.

"It would not after only one session, Daniel Jackson."

"That's good."

"Indeed."

Sam stirred in Jack's arms, her muscles growing more tense and her features tightening. She wasn't quite awake yet, but she was getting there. A whimper pushed past her lips, a sound Jack knew she'd never make were she aware.

"Shh. It's ok, Sam." Daniel leaned in and spoke soothingly.

She moved again. "D'niel?" Her eyes didn't open.

"Yeah, Sam. It's me."

"Hurts." Another confession she'd never consciously make. Jack winced and drew her a little bit closer.

"I know, Sam." Daniel seemed to be fighting his own emotion. Teal'c reached out and laid his hand comfortingly on the top of Carter's head.

"It's over, Carter. You made it." It was all Jack was allowed to say. It seemed so inadequate compared to the words that were running through his head. But those words were against the rules.

She smiled slightly at the sound of Jack's voice, her eyes still closed. "Piece o' cake."

"And you know how much I like cake…"

Her lips twitched again and he felt better. He sat quietly while he watched her fight to become more alert. As she grew more aware of her surroundings, though, she also grew more conscious of her pain. He wished he had some way to help her, but he knew he wouldn't be able to until they made their escape. They didn't even have anything left to use for bandages.

He met Daniel's eyes, and then Teal'c's. Daniel gave a nod and stood up, Teal'c behind him. They walked over to the panel on the wall and removed the plating once again.

Jack was left alone with Sam. She drifted in and out for a while, mumbling random words and phrases, some more coherent than others. One moment she'd seem completely aware, and the next, it was as if she was somewhere else… somewhere unpleasant. Finally, her eyes cracked open and he could see a sliver of blue. She flinched at the lights that were too bright. She scanned the room, taking in her surroundings, and then settled on his face.

"There you are," he whispered. He felt her relax in his arms. She closed her eyes, but remained awake.

"How long was I gone?" She opened her cracked lips to accept the water he offered.

"A little over four hours." Too long.

He watched her mull it over. "I thought it was longer than that," she finally said.

He nodded, understanding. "Time flies when you're having fun."

"Fun. Right." She opened her eyes and looked back up at Jack. "How's the door?" Her voice was hoarse. He knew why, and tried not to think about it. Instead, he took one of her hands in his and began inspecting the damage done under her fingernails.

"Daniel and Teal'c are still working on it. I think it's almost there."

She nodded and winced, reaching the fingers of her free hand out to lay atop her thigh. He waited while she fought to control the pain in her leg, gently rubbing the back of the hand he held.

"Sam."

"I know." Their gazes met and time stopped for an instant, their silent words travelling through the space between them.

_It should have been me._

_I'm glad it wasn't._

_I want to help you, but I'm not sure how._

_Being here is enough._

_It's not enough. I can't show…_

_Being here is enough._

Jack's eyes closed tightly as he fought to be the officer and not the man. When he opened his eyes again, he'd managed to put on his professional mask. Sam seemed to understand. She nodded and he lowered her to the floor.

She winced when her back touched the solid surface.

"What is it?" He asked.

"My back."

"Let's take a look." He helped her roll over to her side and lifted her shirt. Rage hit him hard and he had to fight again to keep the mask firmly in place. There were nasty burns criss-crossing their way across her entire back.

"What did this?"

"You don't want to know, sir." She winced. "It's still burning. Whatever he used must still be in there."

Jack's jaw squared, but he said nothing. He reached for one of the canteens that had been refilled in the hours she was gone and unscrewed the lid.

She tensed the second the water hit her damaged skin, but he continued rinsing the wounds until the canteen was half empty. He noticed she was shaking a bit and pulled her shirt back down.

"Cold?" he asked her.

She nodded. "A little. Nothing I can't handle."

Without giving it much thought, he scooped her back up and cradled her in his arms, swearing to himself it was just for practical reasons that he held her. She nestled into his heat, her head resting on his chest. Jack felt time pass while she shivered and tried to manage her discomfort. He didn't know how long they'd been there when she spoke.

"Ba'al's looking for a power source so he can use the ninth chevron on the gate." Her voice sounded a bit stronger.

"Why does he think you know where it is…?" he looked down at her, "… You don't, do you?"

She smiled slightly and shook her head. "No, but apparently dad did." She sat up a little and he adjusted his arms to support her better. "I get the feeling that whatever this power source is, it's dangerous. Ba'al said my dad wouldn't have told any of the Tok'ra or the Tau'ri because he would have feared one group having that much power. If dad was worried enough about it to keep it hidden like that, it's definitely something we want to keep Ba'al from finding."

Jack considered that for a moment. He looked back up where Daniel and Teal'c were working. "Well, it's moot until we get off this ship."

"We got it, Jack!" It was like the man was a mind reader, Jack thought.

Daniel stepped over to them and knelt down next to Sam. "The wires are all stripped. What now?"

"Poor some water from the canteen onto the exposed wires. It should short out the circuit that's holding the door closed."

"That's it?" Daniel looked a little disappointed.

"That's it."

"It's genius in its simplicity." Jack supplied.

Carter closed her eyes again and leaned her weight more fully on Jack's arm. "If it works," she muttered. "I have no way of knowing we're working with the right circuit and the water may not be enough… For all I know, it'll just blow out the lights and we'll be sitting in the dark."

"Well, there's only one way to find out…" Daniel grabbed the canteen beside Jack's knee and took it to Teal'c.

They watched while Teal'c uncapped the canister and then poured the liquid out onto the wires.

Nothing happened.

"It does not appear to have worked."

Sam sighed. "It should work. Try it again."

He did. Still nothing.

Sam rubbed her fists over her eyes in frustration.

"So, Plan B, then," Jack looked expectantly to Carter, who shrugged. "There isn't one, sir."

"Daniel?"

"Don't look at me, Jack."

"Teal'c?"

"I can think of nothing that would help us, O'Neill."

"I thought you might say that."

Sam had stopped shivering and Jack helped her move away so she could lean against the wall. Her leg stretched out in front of her. He had to ask. "Carter…?"

"Yes, sir?"

"What's with the splint?" His head cocked sideways as he looked at her.

"Ba'al said he didn't want me dying on him while he played with my leg, so he splinted it." She grimaced, remembering the burn of the pain stick running through her broken bone.

Jack could see the remembered pain on her face and would have winced, too, except his brain was cooking up an idea. "Got any idea what it's made of?'

"Feels like metal, sir."

"Heavy?"

Her eyes lit with dawning realization. "Yes, sir."

"I hate to tell you this, Carter, but I think you're gonna lose your splint."

She nodded with a smile. "Yes, sir."

Daniel stepped forward, having watched the exchange. He raised his hand like he was a student in class. "Guys…?' He lifted his eyebrows in question.

Jack didn't bother looking up at Daniel as he tapped experimentally on the metal. "Ba'al screwed up, Daniel." This time he did grin. "He just armed his prisoners."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I'm hard at work on chapter seven, but I felt the need to warn you... this week may not see very many posts. I play in a symphony and it's a concert week. That means I'm at rehearsal all night on Tuesday and Thursday with concerts Friday and Sunday night. Not a lot of time to write... I will be thinking of you all, though, as I spend all that time away from my computer.

Hope chapter 6 was enough to tide you over...

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	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Well, I was able to squeeze in just enough time to write one chapter this week. It was a tough one since I have never in my life written action before... I'm more of a character/internal dialog and angst kind of writer. Still, this was fun to try on. I hope you enjoy it. I have a really busy weekend ahead, so I probably won't be back to my quick turnaround until Monday or so. I'm still hoping I can post chapter eight by Sunday evening. I want to give a special thanks to roguephoenix1 and Reesa-J for their beta work on this chapter. I found their observations quite valuable.

**Disclaimer: **Stargate isn't mine. If it were, Carter and Jack would have kissed for real at the end of season 8... none of that AU kissin' cop-out stuff...

**Warning: **Nothing really to warn you about... just thought I'd put this here.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

_Daniel stepped forward, having watched the exchange. He raised his hand like he was a student in class. "Guys…?' He lifted his eyebrows in question._

_Jack didn't bother looking up at Daniel as he tapped experimentally on the metal. "Ba'al screwed up, Daniel." This time he did grin. "He just armed his prisoners."_

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Seven**

Jack was keyed up after a really long night. It had been a rough one for Carter, but she hadn't complained once; not even when he'd removed the splint, which he knew had hurt despite his attempt to be gentle. The bone had lost the blinding pain that comes with the suddenness of a break and the numbness that happens right afterward. Now it was just pure non-stop agony. It was written all over her face when she thought no one was looking. After the brace was removed, Jack asked to see the limb for the first time since he'd set it. They had to tear her pants leg up to her hip so he could reassess the damage. The leg was ugly. It hurt Jack's teeth to look at it. The whole thing was black and blue, swollen, and to his surprise… scorched in two places.

He reached out to gently touch the burns with a question in his eyes. It took him a moment to vocalize his thoughts. "Ba'al… Pain stick?"

"Yes," was all she said.

Jack's jaw clenched and his eyes flashed. His hand balled into a tight fist before he released it and moved to check the limb. He fought to keep his touch gentle. When he was satisfied that the bones hadn't slipped out of alignment, he touched various places to make sure she didn't show signs of permanent nerve damage. She let him know with every flinch that at least those worries could be shelved for the time being. He wrapped the material back around her leg for warmth and made her drink more water, which she quickly threw up. He knew she had a fever, but a quick hand to the forehead told him it was on the rise. With the wounds that were just beginning to fester on her side and hip combined with the fresh blisters that were blooming on her back, it was a wonder she was even coherent. Still, she suffered in relative silence.

Since the removal of the splint, they'd waited. Jack had checked on her to make sure she was as comfortable as she could be… and then they'd waited some more.

Jack was tired of waiting. His nerves were a bundle of nerves. The possibility of taking this helpless feeling and turning it into a bunch of dead Jaffa was more than a little enticing. Granted, that all hinged on their ability to turn two measly rods of metal into a heroic escape.

Finally, he heard footsteps approaching in the hallway. The Jaffa were coming. He nodded to his friends and sat near Carter, hiding the rod under his leg. Daniel did the same with his own bar. He could see Teal'c's jaw clench in anticipation. The guy never could control his emotional impulses, Jack thought. Carter lay down, trying to cover up with the position of her body the fact that she no longer wore the splint. As soon as the door opened, she began moaning and begging them not to take her.

Carter had warned them that they'd probably be coming for two of them today. They didn't know which was slated to be Carter's companion, but they'd prepared for all scenarios. Jack figured it would probably be him since he and Ba'al went way back and all. He was surprised when the three Jaffa who entered went for Carter and Daniel.

Carter shrunk back from the Jaffa who reached for her, making him bend further to gain access to the waistband of her pants so he could haul her up off the floor. His balance off center, Carter turned on him, suddenly lurching forward to grab his outstretched arm and pulling with all her might. He fell forward with a surprised grunt and Jack was off the floor, shoving the Jaffa roughly from behind. Carter cried out as the Jaffa's weight fell on her legs, but Jack pushed it out of his mind and raised the bar two-handed over his head to strike the Jaffa across the back of the skull. The sound of metal meeting flesh echoed through the small room followed by the din of the others taking action against the other two Jaffa.

Daniel pulled his rod from behind his back. He didn't have enough room for a full swing, so he jabbed it straight up into the Jaffa's stomach. The Jaffa let out a groan and doubled over. Daniel jabbed quickly again at the guard's face, but he wasn't fast enough. The Jaffa's large palm reached out and yanked the piece of metal from Daniel's hands.

Teal'c went after the third Jaffa, the largest of the three, like a lineman rushing the quarterback. The guard fell hard against the wall, dropping his staff weapon. Teal'c continued after him, and both men fell to the floor, wrestling to get the upper hand. Before long, Teal'c found purchase on the man's neck, and with a quick twist, it was all over.

Meanwhile, Jack put down his rod so he could help Carter twist her body out from under the Jaffa's weight. She pulled her legs out and flipped over onto her belly. Hearing the loud snap of breaking bone, Jack disappeared to check on Teal'c while Carter crawled forward to reach for the zat buried under the Jaffa's hip. There was a muffled groan as he came to his senses. He grabbed for his zat at the same time Carter's fingers found it. She had it in her hand first, his beefy ones grasping over hers. She pulled it back toward her, but the Jaffa was much stronger than she was. Before he was able to wrench the weapon from her hands, she gave one last pull, bringing his hand within biting distance. Jack reappeared and, noticing the Jaffa was awake, grabbed the rod he'd dropped on the floor. The Jaffa cried out as Carter's teeth found the fleshy part of his hand and, letting go of the zat, backhanded her with all the strength he could muster. Her head whipped back and the Jaffa went for the zat again. Jack swung the rod, using his pent-up anger to put a little more weight behind the blow. The Jaffa's skull cracked under the force and he fell to the floor for good.

Across the room, Daniel moved quickly to avoid the swing of the rod the Jaffa had stolen from him. He rolled away, the weight and speed of the bar brushing a whoosh of air past his cheek. The Jaffa threw the rod away from them, apparently deciding he'd rather use a zat, and took the weapon from his hip. Daniel rolled again, but there was no way he'd avoid being hit in such tight quarters. His eyes closed and the buzz of the zat filled the room. It took a few seconds for him to notice that he didn't feel the blinding pain of the weapon's fire, and opened his eyes. Sam gave him a tight smile and lowered the zat she'd taken from the other guard. The Jaffa who had been about to shoot him was laying face-down on the floor.

"You okay, Carter?" Jack called as he moved across the cell to search the unconscious Jaffa she had shot. He came up with a zat and clicked it open.

"Yes, sir," she panted from the floor, holding her leg with one hand while trying to right herself with the other. Her newly acquired zat lay on the floor next to her.

Teal'c picked up the staff weapon and traded it with Jack for the zat.

Jack looked at it and tested its weight. "Thanks, T."

Teal'c merely nodded and handed the zat to Daniel before moving over to Sam. He gently lifted her from the floor. She hissed in her breath sharply and tensed in his arms, but said nothing. Instead, she gripped the zat in her hand tighter and threw her other arm around the Jaffa's neck.

Daniel quickly gathered up the pieces of the splint and stood next to Jack, who was peeking out the door and into the hallway.

"So far, so good," Jack said. "Looks like the coast is clear."

"There should be a ring room on this level, but it won't take us outside. We'll need to get to one of the lower levels to find a set that will do that." Carter looked small in Teal'c's arms.

"Follow the yellow brick road," Jack peeked again out the door and then stepped quietly into the hallway. Daniel moved up next to him.

"Actually, they're not bricks, Jack, they're tiles…"

"Daniel!" Jack spoke in a harsh whisper.

"I'm just saying…"

"Ahh." He pointed to his staff weapon. "I know how to use this."

Daniel shook his head and followed Jack down the empty hallway, Teal'c and Carter close behind.

They were almost to the ring room when a passing Jaffa patrol forced them to duck behind one of the gold plated wall panels.

"I believe we should stop and replace the splint on Colonel Carter's leg, O'Neill. She appears to be in a great deal of pain."

Jack barely heard his friend's whisper. He slid along the wall and took a look at Sam. She had broken out into a sweat, her face pinched and eyes closed tight. Her knuckles were white around the zat she held in her hand.

"Carter?"

"I'm fine, sir." She opened her eyes and he could see the fever that burned inside her. She was not doing well. The scuffle had taken a lot out of her.

He looked up at Teal'c. "I want to get off this floor before we stop."

Teal'c nodded.

"Hang in there, Carter." He resisted the urge to touch her warm face.

She opened her eyes and rewarded him with a slight smile. "Hanging, sir."

He nodded and, noticing that the Jaffa patrol had already passed into the next hall, moved out from behind the panel. The rest of the trip to the ring room was uneventful.

Once the door closed behind them, Jack spied the circle on the floor that signified a set of transporter rings. He and Teal'c stepped into the center.

"We want to go down as many levels as it will let us, Daniel," Carter spoke quietly.

"Can do," Daniel answered. He pushed a couple buttons on a wall panel and rushed quickly into the circle to join them. He and Jack readied their weapons and they all watched as the rings appeared to fall from the ceiling like a giant deck of circular cards and a bright light engulfed them.

They rematerialized in another ring room. Two Jaffa sentries called out in surprise, but were quickly silenced with a couple well-aimed shots. The team moved back into the hallway, making random turns in order to distance themselves from the rings.

"You're not getting us lost, are you Jack?"

"You should know by now not to let me navigate, Daniel," Jack answered back. "I haven't even stepped foot on one of these things in almost two years."

"I believe we are headed in the right direction, though it is not the most direct route."

"At least Teal'c has a little faith in me." Jack rounded another corner and stopped suddenly. A Jaffa followed by two Super Soldiers were just making the turn into the same hallway down on the other end. Jack moved backward around the corner as quickly as he could. He didn't think he had been spotted.

"What is it?" Carter whispered.

"Looks like Ba'al inherited some of Anubis's goons." He rushed back down the hallway looking for a door, feeling a sudden sense of urgency. He found one that wasn't sealed a few yards away and motioned them all inside. Jack followed them into the dark room and allowed the door to shut behind him. Carter needed a break anyway and here was as safe as anywhere. He stood at the door and listened until he heard the guards approach and pass, their footsteps fading away again.

Sam grunted when Teal'c lowered her to the floor at the back of the room. Jack hunkered down in front of her. She lay back against the wall and closed her eyes, her head lolling a bit. Jack's worry moved up a notch.

"Hey, Carter." He removed his hat and used it to fan cooler air into her face. "No sleeping."

She fought to open her eyes and then focused on his face. "Yes, sir," she mumbled.

He felt his face soften. "We're almost there, but we need you to navigate for us."

"I understand… sir."

Daniel laid out the pieces of the splint and, hesitating, looked at Jack. Putting it back on would hurt. Jack sighed. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. He picked up one of the rods and moved to place it against the outside of Carter's leg. She reached down to hold it in place while he grabbed the other bar.

Teal'c's voice interrupted him… "O'Neill."

"Yeah, T?"

"I do not believe we will be able to use the rings to escape this vessel."

"Why not?" Jack looked up to find Teal'c staring out a small window. He got up to stand beside Teal'c and took a peek. His heart fell to his feet. "We're not over a planet." He looked back at Teal'c. "Why the hell aren't we over a planet?"

"There was never a guarantee, Jack. We were just hoping our assumption would be right."

"That's nice, Daniel. Thank you."

"So, what do we do?"

"We could attempt to get to the Glider Bay," Teal'c supplied.

Jack shook his head and slipped his hat back on. "That's the first place they'll expect us to go."

"Well, there aren't a lot of other options here, Jack."

"How about hiding? We wait until the ship orbits a planet and then ring down as planned."

"Giving them plenty of time to find us again…" Daniel pointed out.

"Well, do you have a better plan? Give me some options."

"I may have one."

They all turned to look at Sam.

She blinked at them with a tired smirk. "Don't look so shocked."

"I'd be more shocked if you didn't think of something, Carter." Jack answered, hope resurfacing.

"Well, sir, I think Teal'c may have had the right idea."

"But Sam, Jack was right. They'll be guarding the Glider Bay just waiting for us to show up."

Sam shook her head at Daniel. "Not the Glider Bay," she told him.

At that moment, the Ha'Tak's alarms began blaring.

Ooooooooooo

"Welcome to the SGC," General Landry smiled as he approached the woman who had just stepped through the Stargate. She tilted her head in greeting and motioned for the others who travelled with her to fall in behind her. The wormhole snuffed out and Landry cleared his throat, just a little nervous. Besides his brief encounter with Teal'c she was his first introduction to life from off-world. "I'm General Landry," he introduced himself.

The woman nodded and folded her hands delicately together in front of her. Landry took in her odd wardrobe, made entirely of leather and various metals. A large necklace swooped around her neck and nestled in between her breasts with a green gemstone he figured would cost a fortune on Earth. The skirt was short and the top revealing. "I am Anise," the woman said in the dual voice of a symbiote speaking through its host. The sound was unnerving. He noticed that her lips moved awkwardly, as if she were chewing on the inside of her mouth while she spoke. "I am sorry to hear about SG-1. General O'Neill's presence will be sorely missed by the Tok'ra if he is not found."

Not according to the reports Landry had read. "We don't count them lost just yet." He smiled at her.

"Yes, well I have found the Tau'ri can often be quite resourceful in such matters."

"Yes, we can." He gestured her forward and she stepped ahead of him, out of the gate room and down the hall. They held all further conversation until they were comfortably seated in the conference room, Major Reynolds and his team joining them around the table.

"What can we do for you?" General Landry started the conversation.

"The Tok'ra have been looking into the disappearance of SG-1 since you notified us and we believe we have found a possible explanation." The Tok'ra sat stiffly in her chair, back straight and hands folded neatly on the table.

"That was fast," he said. Too fast. Landry decided he didn't trust her. Anyone who could speak with that little emotion had a far too developed poker face for his liking.

Anise didn't waste any time. "A Tok'ra operative recently gathered intel that may suggest the Goa'uld Ba'al is seeking information regarding a planet that until recently has remained a secret. We think he may have determined that Colonel Carter is privy to the whereabouts of this planet."

"And why would he think that?"

"Jacob Carter was the person who hid its location."

"Why would the General want to hide a planet?" Major Reynolds piped in.

She turned to face him. "We do not know. Nor do we know the location of the planet. Jacob and Selmac both left it out of their mission summaries when they returned."

"Which means they didn't believe it was a good idea for the Tok'ra to know its location." The General confronted.

She calmly turned her attention back to him. "It appears they did not wish for the Tau'ri to possess it either."

"So, how did the Tok'ra come by the information?"

"We did not even know of the planet's existence until we received a report written by a Tok'ra who was recently interrogated by Ba'al. However, the information the operative was able to tell us was sketchy at best. It is possible there is someone Jacob Carter felt was trustworthy enough for the information Ba'al seeks."

So that was it. "I see. You think Colonel Carter can provide the location of this planet to which you previously had no knowledge. And you're here to…?"

"To help you retrieve any surviving members of SG-1." Anise frowned.

"And whatever knowledge the Colonel might have."

"It would naturally be one of the outcomes netted by her retrieval, yes." She cocked her head to the side innocently.

"Naturally." Landry knew this game well. Still, if this Tok'ra had information that would lead him to SG-1, he needed to play it.

"You wouldn't happen to also know where Ba'al is holding my team?"

"Tok'ra spies stationed on Ba'al's Ha'Tak have reported that he left for another of his vessels not long ago. He was most likely travelling to SG-1's location in order to oversee the interrogations."

"And do the Tok'ra have any spies at that location?"

"No."

Landry sighed and stood. "Then I am still lost as to why you have come all this way…"

Anise lowered her head slightly and when she lifted it again, her demeanor had softened. "General Landry," the voice had changed, sounding gentler and distinctly more human. "I am Freya, host to Anise. I apologize for her ambiguity, but our offer to help has been made with the utmost of sincerity."

Landry fought the urge to sit down, unprepared for the duplicity that confronted him. It was remarkable. There really were two people sharing the body that sat before him. He gathered himself quickly and leaned down on the table with his open palms. "I'm sure it has been. I also find it convenient that you were able to determine so quickly the relative whereabouts of my team."

"I assure you, General…"

Landry held out a finger. "… Don't bother. You knew Ba'al would be searching for Colonel Carter and failed to warn us. You then decided to use the situation to your own advantage by 'offering' your help in exchange for whatever it is that Carter may or may not know."

Freya's head lowered again and when she looked up, her eyes were cold and emotionless. "The fact is, General, that unless we are able to determine the location of SG-1 and successfully extract them, Ba'al will eventually be able to get to the information himself."

"And if that happens?"

"There is no way to know at this time, but I can assure you, whatever it is that Ba'al seeks, we will all feel regret should he find it."

00000000000000000000000

And there we have it, folks... my first attempt at action. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading. Chapter eight is in the works!

oooooooooooooooooooooo


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Sorry this one took so long. I should have my evenings free this week, so I'll be writing up a storm! I am sending the chapters off to a beta reader before I post them since I'm new to action, so I probably won't be able to post EVERY night. I will try to get one up every other night, though. I want to give a special thanks to sbz for doing the beta work on this chapter. Those of you who return again and again... thanks to you as well. I've never felt so wonderful about writing before... you've given me inspiration that goes beyond the wonderful characters we've TPTB have provided.

**Disclaimer: **These characters were created by masters. I bow down to their almighty minds...

**Warning!: **I've been living on caffeine for a week! Don't know how that applies to this chapter... just thought I'd share.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_"I assure you, General…"_

_Landry held out a finger. "… Don't bother. You knew Ba'al would be searching for Colonel Carter and failed to warn us. You then decided to use the situation to your own advantage by 'offering' your help in exchange for whatever it is that Carter may or may not know."_

_Freya's head lowered again and when she looked up, her eyes were cold and emotionless. "The fact is, General, that unless we are able to determine the location of SG-1 and successfully extract them, Ba'al will eventually be able to get to the information himself."_

_"And if that happens?"_

_"There is no way to know at this time, but I can assure you, whatever it is that Ba'al seeks, we will all feel regret should he find it."_

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron**

**Chapter Eight**

Sam needed a computer.

Sam needed to stay conscious long enough to use said computer.

Jack had serious doubts about either of those things happening.

The super soldiers that passed by a few minutes ago changed things. They changed things a lot. Jack was confident in SG-1's ability to shoot their way off the ship if it came to that, but super soldiers took a good old firefight completely out of the equation. A super soldier wouldn't even blink at the prospect of catching blaster fire. A super soldier would walk right through the crossfire in the middle of a hallway and make them all very dead… very quickly. And the alarm blaring over their heads assured him they wouldn't be able to sneak around the Ha'Tak very much longer, either.

Jack sighed and rubbed his hand down his face. He listened to Daniel talk to Sam, trying to keep her awake. She'd passed out when they'd redone her splint and had only been conscious a short time since. It didn't look promising that she'd stay that way. He looked down. Her head was pillowed on his knee, her eyes closed. Her face was white and gleaned with sweat, her breath coming in quick gasps.

"… and Teal'c says there's a computer on this level," Daniel was telling her. "It's not that far from here, actually, so when you're ready, we'll get you to it."

Sam nodded weakly and opened her eyes. She dragged them to land on Jack. "Just get me there and I'll get it done."

"We know you will, Carter." Jack brushed his fingers across her cheek. "Leave it to you to save our butts again."

She smiled and her eyes drifted shut. "Flatterer."

"Overachiever."

"I haven't done anything yet…"

"It'll work, Sam," Daniel said.

"I, too, have much confidence in your plan, Colonel Carter."

"Guess I'd better deliver, then." She began to push herself up, but Jack's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

He nodded to Teal'c, who lifted her off the floor once again. Her head hung limply before she found the strength to lift it and lay it against his chest.

She was so weak.

Jack pushed the fear down and picked up his weapon. They had a job to do.

Daniel was at the door. "Sounds like the hall's clear, but I can't be sure." He looked frustrated. "I wish they'd turn that stupid alarm off."

Jack opened the door and stepped out. The coast was clear, so he motioned the others to follow him.

"We will continue down this hallway and then take a right," Teal'c instructed.

Jack nodded and they moved together down the hall. He tried to ignore the nightmarish images playing out in his mind of a super soldier suddenly rounding a corner and taking aim.

"The computer will be in a small alcove at the end of the next hall."

"No door, Teal'c?"

"No. I do not believe there will be one, O'Neill."

Jack pursed his lips. The blaring alarm was sure to have more Jaffa patrols out in the hallways… it was just a matter of time before they ran into one. Still, what choice did they have?

They made it to the alcove without incident and Jack took up a defensive position at one end. Daniel moved to do the same at the other end while Teal'c went to the computer platform and set Carter on her feet in front of it, his arm around her waist lending strength.

Her legs buckled under her and if he hadn't been beside her she would have ended up in a heap on the floor. Teal'c moved behind her and strengthened his grip around her waist, holding her upright in what would look to an outsider like a full-body embrace. She seemed to gather herself and moved her fingers to the terminal.

"We're in luck," she said quietly. "There are two Tel'tak… in… the hanger."

"There are two," Teal'c repeated loudly enough for the General to hear.

Jack kept his eyes on the hallway. "Good. We only need one."

"There's a ring… room… near…" Carter's head fell back against Teal'c's chest and her fingers went limp on the console.

"Colonel Carter." Teal'c shook her gently.

"T?"

"Colonel Carter has passed out, O'Neill."

"Shit."

"I will see if I can access the information." Teal'c lay Sam on the floor and turned back to the console.

Jack continued to curse under his breath and watch the hallway. More than anything he wanted to check on Carter himself.

"Uh, Jack." Jack heard Daniel's words just before the first shot almost caught him in the back. He turned and looked up to see that a Jaffa patrol had just rounded the corner and was firing on their position. Daniel fired his zat, but it didn't have the range of Jack's staff weapon. They needed their P-90s back.

Jack rushed up beside Daniel and fired back at the Jaffa. Blasts hit the wall next to him and he felt the heat grazing his skin. "T!" he called out. "Switch places with Daniel!" Daniel could hold his own in a fire fight, but Teal'c was a much better shot.

Teal'c moved without question. He grabbed up Carter's zat from where it had hit the floor and took Daniel's from him as well. Daniel hurried to the console. He raised his arms in frustration and hesitantly pressed here and there on the terminal. "Jack, I really don't know what I'm doing here, Jacob never showed me…" He flinched as a blast hit just over his head.

"You're smart, Daniel… figure it out!" Jack called and took another shot.

"Great, Jack," Daniel mumbled. He turned his attention back to the console. "I love the vote of confidence…"

"Daniel?"

Carter was looking up at him from the floor.

"Sam," relief dripped from his voice, "I need you to help me." He knelt down beside her.

She nodded weakly. "Get me up."

"Sam…"

"I said… get me up, Daniel." Her jaw squared and her muscles tensed in preparation.

Daniel bent over her and put his arms under her arm pits. He lifted her, but not nearly as easily as Teal'c had done it. She grunted as he helped her to the console.

Jack and Teal'c continued to cover them from the edge of the alcove. An occasional stray blast of energy managed to find its way inside. The air grew warmer.

"Any time, Daniel!" Jack called out to him. He shouted in triumph as one of his blasts finally connected with one of the Jaffa on the other end.

"We're getting it, Jack!"

"We need to get out of here before we end up with more Jaffa…"

"Sam?"

"I've got it, Daniel. There's a set of rings near the hanger; in fact, we've been there already…" She broke off and winced.

"So we just need to get there?"

She sucked in her breath and shook her head. "Getting there is easy. It's making sure the rings will take us where we want to go..." She let him lower her back to the floor. "Go help," she ordered with a wave of her hand.

He took a moment to assess her. She gave him a stern look that told him in no unmistakable terms not to be an ass. He nodded and then moved over to where Teal'c and Jack were taking turns risking exposure to get off a shot or two. Teal'c handed him one of the zats and he entered the rotation. There was only one Jaffa left, but there had to be more on the way.

Teal'c took aim and fired. The last Jaffa dropped. As soon as Jack was sure the Jaffa wasn't going to get back up he gave the order to get moving. Teal'c grabbed Sam who directed them back to the set of rings they'd used earlier. They needed to go up again.

"I should let you know… what to do in case I lose it again," she said softly when they finally made it to the ring room. They'd had to duck into several rooms along the way to avoid more patrols. The two Jaffa they'd shot were still lying unconscious on the floor. Jack zatted them again, just to make sure they didn't wake up and surprise them. He watched each disappear and turned his attention back to Carter.

"These rings are the closest," Sam paused to take a breath, "to the hanger bay."

"Which means we can use them to ring onto one of the Tel'tak parked there," Daniel said.

"Yes." She took the canteen Jack held out to her and took a sip. Her hand shook as she held it, but she didn't ask for help. Jack knew better than to offer it. "We can't just ring there from here. They automatically target the nearest set."

"Which would be the ones on the interrogation level," Jack didn't relish the idea of going back there.

She nodded. "We have to make these rings target the hanger. If we destroy… the other set, this one will then seek out… the ones closest and reroute there." She took another sip of water, but seemed to turn green immediately after. Jack watched her try to swallow air so she wouldn't lose the water again. It took her a moment, but she finally relaxed.

"Which would be on one of the Tel'tak." Daniel added. "So, how do we get back here once we've destroyed the rings there?"

"The computer had a schematic. It showed an emergency shaft. It should be relatively unguarded. We can climb down the shaft. Back to this level… then ring from here to the Tel'tak in the hanger."

"You make it sound so simple, Carter."

She smiled at him, handing back the canteen and lowering her head to Teal'c's chest. "It should work, sir. In theory."

"Ah." He wagged a finger at her and stepped beside Teal'c into the center of the circle. "You say that, but then we run into Replicators, or get our brains overhauled, or get invaded by aging nano-thingies…"

"Yes, sir."

Daniel hit a couple buttons on the panel and rushed to join them. The rings dropped around them and took them away.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Jaffa and Super Soldiers and Ba'al, oh my! Chapter nine's draft is almost finished (and actually, part of chapter 10). I should have 9 posted soon...

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** So... this chapter took just a bit longer than I thought it would. I'm so sorry for making you wait. I have to admit I struggled. The humor isn't lost on me that chapter nine of "The Ninth Chevron" has been my arch nemesis for a week now. I am pleased with the results, though... and hope you will be, too. Thanks for sticking with me.

**Warning!** Lots and lots of running and shooting ahead... some more whump, some bad jokes, and even a little (blink and you'll miss it) ship.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Stargate or write it professionally... though one can dream...

ooooooooooooooooooo

_"The computer had a schematic. It showed an emergency shaft. It should be relatively unguarded. We can climb down the shaft. Back to this level… then ring from here to the Tel'tak in the hanger."_

_"You make it sound so simple, Carter."_

_She smiled at him, handing back the canteen and lowering her head to Teal'c's chest. "It should work, sir. In theory."_

_"Ah." He wagged a finger at her and stepped beside Teal'c into the center of the circle. "You say that, but then we run into Replicators, or get our brains overhauled, or get invaded by aging nano-thingies…"_

_"Yes, sir."_

_Daniel hit a couple buttons on the panel and rushed to join them. The rings dropped around them and took them away._

oooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron**

**Chapter Nine**

Jack knew their luck had run out when the rings deposited them smack dab in the middle of two squads of Jaffa. As soon as the rings rose, Jack opened fire with the staff weapon. His first shot connected and a Jaffa went down. The rest, caught unaware like a group of businessmen waiting for the elevator, scattered. Daniel fired his zat and another Jaffa fell. It wasn't enough. The remaining six circled them, weapons drawn.

"Kree!"

Jack nodded to Daniel and they both dropped their weapons. "Know when to fold 'em, Daniel."

"Yes, Jack." Daniel raised his hands in surrender.

"Down on your knees!" one of the Jaffa ordered. Jack felt a staff weapon in his back push him to the floor. The Jaffa watched warily as Teal'c gently laid Sam down and then knelt next to Daniel, placing his hands on his head.

One of the Jaffa walked up to Carter where she lay on her side, her eyes closed. He nudged her roughly with his boot. She was completely still. He reached down and took the zat she had tucked into her waistband.

"Our Lord, Ba'al will be most pleased we have managed to cross paths, Tau'ri," the lead Jaffa said smugly.

"Yeah, well those guys don't look too pleased." Jack nodded to the two Jaffa lying on the floor.

"An honorable sacrifice to their god."

"Ba'al is not a god," Teal'c said firmly.

"He is the almighty, Shol'va. You will see his power reign down…"

"Blah, blah…" Jack interrupted. He caught a look from Daniel. "We've heard this all before. How about we all just agree to disagree, celebrate our religious diversity and move on?" He looked up into the unmoving face of the Jaffa. "You're not going for this, are you?"

"Jack."

"He's not going for it, Daniel."

"Jack."

"What? You'd rather kneel down and worship Ba'al?"

"No. I'd rather you didn't get yourself shot." He moved his head slightly to the left. It was almost unperceivable, but Jack caught it. He glanced in the direction Daniel indicated.

Sam was beginning to stir and her fingers twitched; not enough that the Jaffa would notice. Still, Jack recognized the signals.

Daniel and Teal'c both tensed beside him. She shifted again. Her eyes met theirs and she gave a small nod.

SG-1 rushed the Jaffa. Surprised, their first couple shots went wild. One winged Teal'c on the hip. He kept moving. He body slammed the Jaffa in front of him, taking him to the floor.

Jack jumped up and tackled the one nearest him. The Jaffa's weapon slid across the floor. Carter dragged herself to it and picked it up.

Daniel saw one of the Jaffa raise his weapon and aim at Sam. He threw himself at the Jaffa and knocked the shot wide.

Sam ducked her head and kept hold of her acquired zat. Her fingers pried open a small compartment and began fiddling with the insides.

The rest of the room was in chaos. The three mobile team members wrestled for control. It was a losing battle. There were just too many of them.

Above the sounds of the fray, a high pitched whine began to wail. It grew louder and more obnoxious. Jack felt it more than a little unnerving. He took a right hook to the chin and fell to the floor. He had the presence to kick his feet out, taking the Jaffa down with him.

The whine continued to increase in intensity.

Sam cried out. One of the Jaffa had grabbed the bare foot of her splinted leg and was pulling her toward him. His face was murderous. Jack recognized him as the Jaffa she'd damaged earlier. She kicked out with her other leg. He rewarded her with a savage twist of her ankle.

Jack heard a crack. He moved to help, but was suddenly sandwiched to the floor by the Jaffa he'd been fighting.

Sam screamed and clawed at the floor, trying to gain enough friction to move in the opposite direction. Tears ran down her face, her body's reaction to the pain. Finally, the Jaffa bent for her. It was a mistake. Her other foot connected with the soft tissue of his neck. He made a sick choking sound. He let go of her leg and grabbed for his broken windpipe.

Carter didn't have time to worry about her pains. Her fingers grabbed up the dropped zat again. Its wail was reaching a fevered pitch.

"Duck and cover!" Carter's voice was pinched, but surprisingly loud. She slid the squealing weapon across the floor toward the largest cluster of Jaffa.

Jack didn't waste any time. He stopped pushing at the Jaffa on top of him and pulled instead.

The next few moments were a mass of confusion. The Jaffa's weight pushed him to the floor. The air rushed from his lungs. The sound crescendoed to its peak. It mingled with the startled cry of the Jaffa. Then a loud explosion rocked the room. He felt its heat singe his hair. Its warmth surrounded him, but the heavy armored body shielded him from most of the blast.

His mind rushed to Carter who, he knew, lay just about a foot away. What had she done? Had she been able to find some sort of protection from the blast?

The room went still.

Jack looked up and pushed at the Jaffa's dead weight. Daniel was doing the same. He appeared to have found cover, too. He stood and looked only a little singed.

The room was a blackened mess, but not as bad as he would have expected. It hadn't been a powerful blast, but it had done the job. The Jaffa lay on the floor, some moving and some still. Before any could get up, Jack reached for a zat nearby and took care of the ones who were stirring.

"You ok, T?" he asked.

Teal'c nodded. "The other Jaffa blocked most of the blast." The wound on his hip didn't seem to be a problem.

Daniel pulled himself to where Sam lay. She turned over slowly with a muffled cry and reached for her leg. Daniel put a steadying hand on her shoulder. Jack saw that she looked a little more cooked than the rest of them, but the Jaffa she'd dismantled before the blast seemed to have shielded her enough. She grimaced and looked over at Teal'c. "It worked."

"Indeed," he nodded.

"What was that?" Daniel asked. "I didn't see."

"Colonel Carter overloaded the zat."

"I didn't even know you could do that." Jack stood and held out a hand to Teal'c.

"It is a naquadah… energy weapon, sir." Sam's teeth clenched.

She said that like it should mean something to him. "I'm just glad you didn't blow us all up, Carter."

"I was more worried about… disintegration, sir."

Daniel's sharp look drew her attention.

"There was just… a small chance of that happening." She reassured him and closed her eyes.

"Yes, well, let's not dwell." Jack knelt down next to Sam. "You're looking a little rough, Carter."

"Pretty sure… bone slipped, sir." She clenched her fists. He didn't comment on the moisture he saw gathered in the corners of her eyes. She probably wouldn't speak to him for a week if he did.

"Wish you could take it easy for a minute, Carter, but there's probably more Jaffa on the way."

She nodded, but didn't move. "Teal'c, take care of the rings, would you?" Her voice wasn't strong, but it still held an air of authority.

Teal'c nodded. "I require your assistance, Daniel Jackson."

"Yeah, sure." Daniel jumped up and followed Teal'c to the control panel. "What do you need?"

"Hold this." Teal'c put a staff weapon into his hands.

Daniel rolled his eyes, but stood by while Teal'c pried off the panel.

Teal'c took the staff weapon from Daniel and was ready to fire when the rings fell suddenly from the ceiling.

"Move, now!" Jack stood and met Teal'c half-way across the room. He took the weapon from Teal'c. Teal'c picked up Carter roughly and threw her over his shoulder, making a point to also pick up a zat from the floor.

Jack shot the panel, disabling the rings. It was a second too late. Five Jaffa had already materialized in the room. They quickly assessed the situation and raised their weapons.

SG-1 barely made it out the door before the first shot was fired.

"This way," Teal'c called, turning to fire on the Jaffa who followed them out of the room. "We will need to turn left at the first opportunity."

Jack ran in the direction Teal'c directed. He was about to take the turn when he spied several more Jaffa turn the corner at the end of that hall. "Not gonna go that way, Teal'c." They ran past the intersection, dodging staff blasts from both directions.

A little farther down the hall, they took cover behind a section that jutted out from the wall on either side, dodging weapon's fire and peaking out to return with shots of their own.

Sam hung limply from Teal'c's shoulder. Jack couldn't let himself be worried about that right now.

"I hope there's another way to the shaft, Teal'c." Daniel squeezed off a shot that connected with a Jaffa down the way.

"There is," Teal'c answered, taking his own shot. "It will take us longer…"

"…Assuming we get out of this mess!" Jack growled, rolling his eyes upward. He stopped suddenly. Hello. "T?"

"O'Neill?"

"What are those?"

Teal'c looked up where Jack was pointing at the ceiling. "They are pipes." They ran the length of the hallway along the edge where the wall met the ceiling

Daniel connected with another Jaffa and looked up. "I've never seen those on a Ha'tak before. Where do they go?"

Teal'c pointed to the rooms directly behind them. "Interrogation rooms."

"Why?"

"Many of the devices used there require gas." Teal'c ducked a close shot. It sizzled on the wall beside him.

"As in… flammable?"

Daniel raised his eyebrows.

"Yes." Teal'c nodded.

"Think you can hit it, Jack?" Daniel asked. "It's not that thick."

Jack threw him a hurt look.

Daniel shrugged. "I'm just saying…"

"The pipes will be protected. It may take several shots," Teal'c called to him.

"Got it." Jack raised the staff weapon and aimed for the pipe directly over the Jaffa's heads. He felt the weapon kick in his hands. A direct hit. Nothing.

One of the Jaffa sent a shot that had him ducking for cover. He popped back up and sent another blast to the piping. It still wasn't enough to ignite.

Third time's charm, Jack thought. He took the shot and the pipe burst open, pouring a steady line of fire like a flamethrower over the Jaffa. They cried out and ducked down.

Jack threw his hands up like he'd just seen the winning goal at the playoffs. Daniel answered his grin.

"Let's go while they're distracted."

Teal'c nodded at Jack and led them quickly down the hall.

Their destination turned out to be a small closet-sized room with a square hole in the middle of both the floor and ceiling. A ladder stretched down farther than Jack could see. A quick peek upward and he saw it was the same in that direction.

Teal'c lowered Carter to the floor. "They will not expect us to be here," Teal'c told them. "I believe it is safe to rest a moment."

Jack sat next to Sam on the floor. She still wasn't moving. He glanced at her leg and was pretty sure she was right. Her lower leg was twisted at an odd angle. The bone had definitely slipped again. There was no time to fix it.

He patted her on the cheek gently. "Carter."

"It might be best if we let her stay out, Jack"

He sighed. "We can't, Daniel. She can't hold on if she isn't awake."

He patted her again, this time a little harder. "Carter."

She shifted and her eyes fluttered.

"That's it." Another pat. "Wake up."

She opened her eyes and threw her arm over them with a groan.

He sat and watched her fight to pull her way back to awareness. Finally, she spoke.

"If you ask me how I am, I'll kick you, sir." He couldn't see her face under her arm, but her voice shook slightly.

"I was going to tell you to get your butt off the floor."

She moved her arm and glared at him. "Right."

He reached out and touched her now exposed forehead. Just as he'd thought. "You're really hot, Carter."

That earned him a smirk. "This isn't really the place, sir."

He chuckled.

"We're ready," Daniel called from across the room.

Jack nodded. "We have to climb down…" he glanced downward again and frowned. "How many levels?"

"Seven, sir."

Daniel removed his belt and stepped forward. He handed it to Jack and stepped across the hole to the other side to make more room.

Jack gestured to the ladder and then to Daniel's wrapped wrist. "You gonna be able to do this, Daniel?"

"Kinda have to, don't I, Jack?"

Jack stood and removed his own belt, then turned to Teal'c. Teal'c lifted and handed over the Colonel. Jack took her weight willingly. She didn't move, but he knew she was awake and aware. He thought he heard a small grunt as her body shifted.

Teal'c removed his own belt and reached over to slip Carter's off as well. Then he fastened them all together into one giant loop.

"These belts were not designed to hold the weight of a person, O'Neill." Teal'c slung the loop around his neck like a giant necklace of nylon webbing.

"Is it long enough to loop twice?" Daniel asked, tucking his zat into his waistband. "Double it up?"

Teal'c shook his head. "I do not believe so."

"Well, we'll just have to hope it holds." Jack looked down at Sam, who had her eyes closed. "You ready?" he asked her.

She nodded, but didn't say anything. Her neck muscles clenched and she shifted herself to reach out to Teal'c. It took all three of them to settle her so she was sitting in the loop like a swing, her arms around Teal'c's neck. She shook, sweat pouring down her face, but still didn't speak. Jack slid Teal'c's staff in so it was sandwiched between them.

"You ok?"

She shook her head at Jack. "No."

All three men looked surprised.

Carter opened her eyes and looked up at them. "… and I'm not going to say this again… stop asking." She looked directly at Daniel and Teal'c. "That's an order." She turned back to Jack. "That goes for you, too, sir."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Giving me orders, Colonel?"

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly. "You're a big boy, sir. You can handle it."

"That's insubordination."

"I'll deal with the reprimand when we get home, sir."

Jack chuckled. "Gotta get home first, Carter." He stepped over the hole to stand next to Daniel and gestured to the ladder. "Take us down the Jefferies Tube, Daniel."

"That's Star Trek, Jack."

"What?"

"Jefferies Tube. It's a Star Trek term. There aren't any in a Ha'tak."

"Jefferies Tube… originally named for the designer of the Starship Enterprise…"

"Ah!" Jack held up a finger. "Don't you start, T." He shook his head. "You guys watch too much TV."

"I find it to be a relaxing past-time," Teal'c told him.

Jack ignored it and turned back to Daniel, pointing again at the ladder.

"Seven levels, Daniel. Lead on."

"Sure thing, Jack." He turned to Teal'c. "Just don't drop Sam on me."

"I will endeavor to avoid such an error, Daniel Jackson." Jack heard what passed for amusement in his voice.

Daniel grabbed onto the rung nearest his shoulders and stepped up onto the ladder. He began climbing down the shaft. Jack watched Teal'c grab on to the ladder. Sam's grip on him tightened as he put first one foot onto the rung, and then the other. His position looked weird, arms extended as far as they could and back arched to allow room for Carter's body between him and the ladder. Still, he followed Daniel almost immediately as if the extra weight and awkward position were no problem. Jack shook his head and, after slipping his zat into his waistband, stepped on after him. It was a long way down.

When his feet finally touched the floor of their exit level, he shook his arms out and took a look at his… Carter's team. They were panting slightly, but seemed to be ready for the mad dash they would make through the halls to get to the ring room on this level.

He and Daniel helped maneuver Sam out of the make-shift harness. "I'll take her for a while, Teal'c. Rest your arms a bit."

"I'm not that heavy." Her face was chalky white.

"I wouldn't suggest that, Carter."

"…like a sack of potatoes." She mumbled.

"Nah. We wouldn't go to all this trouble for potatoes." He took her into his arms and she settled against him.

Daniel took his zat from his waistband and held it at the ready. Teal'c opened the door. Jack waited for the go-ahead and stepped into the hall behind the Jaffa. They cautiously headed back toward the ring room.

So far, so good. The halls of this level appeared empty. Maybe they thought the team was still on the interrogation level. Jack was beginning to wonder if their luck had returned when they rounded a corner and came face to face with two Kull warriors.

oooooooooooooooooo

Chapter ten is finished... I just want the suspense to build for another day or so. (Evil grin while wringing hands together...)

oooooooooooooooooo


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **You guys cracked me up after that last chapter. You win... here's chapter ten. Just don't say I never did anything for you. ;0)

**Warning! **Objects may be closer than they appear.

**Disclaimer: **Just because a commercial tells you it'll make your clothes whiter, it doesn't mean it really will. Oh, and these characters aren't mine.

**PS. **sbz rocks! Thanks so much for beta reading all my action.

oooooooooooooooooooo

_Daniel took his zat from his waistband and held it at the ready. Teal'c opened the door. Jack waited for the go-ahead and stepped into the hall behind the Jaffa. They cautiously headed back toward the ring room._

_So far, so good. The halls of this level appeared empty. Maybe they thought the team was still on the interrogation level. Jack was beginning to wonder if their luck had returned when they rounded a corner and came face to face with two Kull warriors._

oooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Ten**

Jack felt adrenalin rush through his system and his heart leapt into his throat.

Fear.

His eyes shot to Carter held tightly in his arms. "Go," she whispered.

Instinctively, he turned as quickly as he could and ran. He felt Daniel's presence on one side and Teal'c's on the other.

There had to be a way. It was as simple as that. They hadn't come this far… this many years to see it finished now at the end of a super soldier's wrist blaster.

A few bursts flew past his shoulder. He felt their heat.

He glanced over at Teal'c who had the staff weapon. The Jaffa stopped and turned to the soldiers who followed them. Jack and Daniel kept running.

Teal'c aimed and fired uselessly at the Kull warrior in the lead.

Only it wasn't useless. The blast hit one of the soldiers in the neck and he fell to the ground. Confused, Teal'c fired at the second. He, too, hit the ground.

Jack heard Teal'c call out. "O'Neill!" He turned and stopped. He saw the disbelief on his friend's face. Teal'c stared down at the two bodies.

How was that possible? "Guess they don't make 'em like they used to."

Daniel walked up to one of the bodies and lowered himself beside it. He reached out an experimental finger and gave a little poke. "Jack. This doesn't feel right."

"What doesn't feel right? The fact that Teal'c just took down two super soldiers without breaking into a sweat, or… well, that's about it, isn't it?"

Daniel pursed his lips and glanced briefly at Jack. "No. I mean this doesn't _feel_ right. The armor." He knocked on the helmet of the warrior for emphasis.

Teal'c knelt next to Daniel and wrapped his knuckles against the chest plate. "He is correct, O'Neill. This armor is similar to that worn by a Jaffa."

"Just a sec. I have a theory." Daniel reached down and removed the helmet to reveal a very human looking face with Ba'al's symbol shining from his forehead.

"Jaffa." Carter said.

"Why would Ba'al dress his Jaffa up like super soldiers?" Daniel asked.

"These things have a really short life span, right?" Jack remembered the one who'd died of pulmonary failure in the middle of combat. "My guess is Ba'al wants everyone to think he still has an army of them."

"The mere appearance of a Kull Warrior insights fear," Teal'c agreed.

"Still doesn't make sense. Why wouldn't he use the real thing?"

Jack nodded to the soldiers on the floor. "He wouldn't have an endless supply of armor. My guess is he's got more Jaffa than he could realistically outfit." He snickered. "Good news for us. I thought we were toast."

"Indeed."

"Let's get moving before our luck runs out."

Teal'c nodded and guided them back down the hallway, weapon at the ready. They were almost back to the ring room when Daniel gave a shout behind them and shot his zat.

The energy from the weapon flew at the super soldier who had rounded the corner behind him. The blast was immediately absorbed. Teal'c took a turn with his staff weapon with the same results. The soldier continued to move toward them, raising his arm to aim the weapon on his wrist.

"Guess some of them are real!" Jack called and ducked to avoid the blast the warrior shot at his head.

There was nothing else to do but run. The soldier fired again. The shot exploded a chunk of the wall in front of them. Jack heard the footfalls of the warrior's boots coming up on them quickly.

The door to the ring room was just ahead. Jack was slowing. He felt the pull of Carter's weight in his arms. There was no way they'd make it.

Teal'c must have come to the same conclusion because suddenly he was calling for them to keep going. He stopped and turned, throwing himself at the warrior. They both hit the floor hard.

"Jack!" Daniel called, his steps faltering.

"Do what the man said, Daniel!" Jack ordered, taking the last few steps to the door.

It opened in front of him and he was greeted by a blessedly empty room.

"Get to the controls." Carter told Daniel tersely. He nodded and ran inside to the panel.

Jack turned to see Teal'c break away from the warrior. He tried to climb to his feet, but the Kull grabbed him. Teal'c fell back on top of the soldier with a grunt. He tried to get up again. Teal'c was strong, but he was no match for the super soldier.

Jack tried to think of a way to help him, but came up blank.

Teal'c changed tactics and threw himself back down on top of the warrior. The creature lifted its weapon toward Teal'c's face. He grabbed it, sending the blast zipping past his cheek. They fought for control.

Teal'c had the high ground. He pushed at the Kull's arm, his veins popping out on his neck; his teeth clenched. Slowly, the weapon moved upward toward his neck, despite his strength pulling for it to go the other way.

The super soldier was simply too strong.

Suddenly, Teal'c shoved his weight on the arm forward instead. In that instant, the soldier fired the weapon. It missed Teal'c and glanced across his own helmet. Teal'c didn't wait around to see if the blast killed the soldier. He pushed off the Kull and ran for the ring room.

Jack's eyes got bigger. He watched the soldier climb to his feet behind Teal'c. It immediately started after him, taking aim again with his weapon. Teal'c had a head start, but the soldier moved a lot quicker.

Teal'c dodged a shot. It slammed into the floor at Jack's feet.

"Get us out of here, Daniel!" Jack ran to the center of the rings just as Teal'c stepped into the room. The door shut firmly behind him.

A heavy crash sounded on the other side. The door cracked open slightly at the center. It wouldn't hold the Kull out very long. "Any day, Daniel!"

"Got it!" Daniel ran to join them.

Just as the rings fell down around them, Jack saw a long black arm punch through the gap in the middle of the door. The Kull got off one shot before the team was enveloped in a bright light.

They rematerialized and Jack looked around. His shoulders slumped in relief as he recognized the inside of a Tel'tak. It had worked!

Daniel groaned next to him and grabbed his arm. Jack saw blood seeping between his fingers.

"You are injured, Daniel Jackson."

"Yeah," Daniel said between clenched teeth. "Caught the blast just before we ringed out."

"Keep pressure on it," Jack said, walking to the cockpit. They weren't out of the woods yet. "Get us out of here, T. If we never step foot on another Ha'tak, it'll be too soon."

"Been there, seen the movie." Daniel sat down at shotgun, his hand tight on his arm.

"Choked on the popcorn," Carter added.

Jack sat her down on the floor at Teal'c's feet, who powered up the Tel'tak from the pilot's seat.

Jack took up position behind Teal'c, hands holding onto the back of the seat.

"Open the hanger doors," Carter instructed from the floor. She hadn't said much since they'd climbed down the shaft. Jack didn't think she looked like she'd be able to sit upright, much less take charge. But that was Carter. "Daniel, it's on the panel… in front of you."

"If they have not yet figured out what we were planning and disabled it," Teal'c said.

"That's a little pessimistic, T."

"Let's assume not. They weren't waiting here." She told him. "It's a small yellow… square to your left, Daniel."

Daniel nodded and pushed the button. Jack looked up and saw that the hanger doors were indeed opening.

"We'll have to be quick. They'll try to close them… when they realize they aren't the ones… opening the door."

Carter was all business. Jack wondered where she was drawing her energy.

Teal'c nodded and touched the glowing red ball in front of him. The Tel'tak lifted into the air.

Jack glanced again at the hanger doors. "Uh, Teal'c. Now would be good." They had begun to close.

"We will make it, O'Neill."

Jack didn't know if Teal'c knew this as fact, or was just trying to be optimistic. Either way, his grip tightened on the seat-back as they rushed toward the shrinking opening.

Teal'c spun the vessel onto its side and they shot through the gap and into open space.

Jack let out a relieved sigh and clapped the Jaffa on the shoulder. "Never any doubts."

Daniel smiled from his seat. "Right, Jack." He looked back down at his arm and winced. He tore off the bottom hem of his T-shirt. Jack walked over and tied it tightly around the wound before returning to his position behind Teal'c.

The ship shook violently.

"The Ha'Tak is firing at us." Teal'c gripped the controls a little tighter and took them into a hard bank left.

"Noticed that, did you?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"Guess they know it's us." Daniel said.

"Get us out of here, T."

"The computer is still configuring our location."

"Just jump anywhere, Teal'c." Carter ordered. "We'll figure it out later." She stiffened and bit the inside of her cheek when another shot shook the Tel'tak.

"We've got Death Gliders!" Daniel told them, his voice rising nervously. His eyes flew over the readout in front of him. "A lot of them!"

Jack leaned over the panel between them to get a better look at Daniel's screen. He wasn't kidding. There were probably thirty little dots racing away from the really big dot… the Ha'tak, he guessed.

They were hit again and the panel under him exploded, throwing him to the floor.

"You ok, Jack?" Daniel kept his eyes on his screen.

"Right as rain." He groaned. "Thanks for asking." His chest hurt. He looked down at his scorched T-shirt and noticed it was smoldering against his skin. He swatted at the material to put it out. "Are we getting out of here any time soon, Teal'c?"

"Gliders are almost on us." Daniel's glasses reflected the blips on the screen.

"The ship's computer is sluggish," Teal'c reported. "I believe it was damaged when we were fired upon."

"Do we still have hyper-drive?" Carter asked.

Teal'c nodded and pushed a few buttons. "It is sluggish, but not inoperative." Jack felt the pull as the ship sped up. He stood in time to see the stars blur through the window, leaving Ba'al and his Ha'Tak behind them.

Jack felt his tense muscles relax. Daniel slumped back in his chair and reached a hand up again to his injured arm. Teal'c continued monitoring the controls.

"Keep going for thirty minutes," Carter said. "Then stop. See where we are." Her eyes drifted shut. "Get us home... in ship… or planet… Stargate." She slumped against the wall.

"Energizer bunny finally ran out of batteries." Daniel glanced at her slack features from his seat.

"She knew it was safe to let go." Jack knelt beside her and brushed her hair from her forehead. "Finally."

OoOoOoOoO

Ba'al sat in his seat at the center of the bridge and watched the Tel'tak disappear into a stream of blue light.

He smiled.

ooooooooooooooooo

Thus ends Act 1! On to Act 2... it'll be both a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n roll!

Chapter eleven is on the way.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Here's the beginning of the second act. We have to get into the meat of the story now, but don't worry... more action is right around the corner! I promise. My thanks once again to sbz and to the large dose of Advil I took that promises to take this wicked migraine away. You can blame said migraine if chapter twelve arrives a little late.

**Disclaimer: **These characters are not mine, though I wish the sarcophagus was... it could take away this frelling headache!

**Warning...s! **S/J ship ahead. Tok'ra lovers are about to turn against me. My small crush on Colonel Reynolds brings him into the pages once again (even though I don't feel I know him well enough to jump into his head... winks at sbz). Daniel is the world's cutest nerd. Joss Whedon really did name a guy Mal.

I blame the Advil for the random rant found above.

ooooooooooooooooooo

_"Keep going for thirty minutes," Carter said. "Then stop. See where we are." Her eyes drifted shut. "Get us home... in ship… or planet… Stargate." She slumped against the wall._

_"Energizer bunny finally ran out of batteries." Daniel glanced at her slack features from his seat._

_"She knew it was safe to let go." Jack knelt beside her and brushed her hair from her forehead. "Finally."_

_OoOoOoOoO_

_Ba'al sat in his seat at the center of the bridge and watched the Tel'tak disappear into a stream of blue light._

_He smiled._

oooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron**

**Chapter Eleven**

Landry shook his head in disbelief as he watched SG-3 and the medical team disappear through the gate. He didn't know the specifics, but it looked like SG-1's reputation was going to be proven right again.

A glance around the control room told him all he needed to know. There had been no doubt the team would make it back home. There was relief, but no disbelief written across the faces of the men and women working beside him.

He remembered the excitement that had erupted when Jack's voice had greeted them through the unscheduled wormhole that had formed behind the iris just fifteen minutes earlier. Sergeant Harriman's voice shook as he reported the authenticity of the codes streaming through the gate. Then the worry had tightened around his mouth when the same voice requested a medical team meet them on the other side.

Landry had wanted to send the team right away, but there were protocols to follow. First, a MALP, then a team would go through the gate. Only after it was confirmed SG-1 had not been compromised would they be allowed to return freely to Earth.

Colonel Reynolds had stepped forward before he'd even given the order. "My team would like to go bring them home, sir." The man's calm resolve belied his intense desire to lead the team back. Landry suspected there was a bit of history there. War did that. Loyalties were cemented with blood and sweat and Hank guessed there was more than a little of both shared between the more seasoned teams of SG-1 and SG-3.

He'd nodded. "Get your team ready. As soon as the MALP sends confirmation, you'll step through."

Reynolds had nodded sharply and left to get suited up.

"You may want to send someone to come get this Tel'tak, too." Jack was saying through the camera on the MALP. "It'll take a while to get there, but it's probably worth it to have one intact."

"Agreed. I'll send someone through, but right now getting SG-1 home is our priority."

"Understood." Jack looked to his right and stiffened in anticipation. "Med team just came through. I'm going to join them. It shouldn't take long for them to stabilize Carter well enough to get her back through the gate. Daniel and Teal'c need attention, too, but I think they'll wait until we get home."

"There's a doozy of a story in there, Jack. I can't wait to hear it."

Jack's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, and you will, Hank." He glanced back, obviously wanting to get back to his people. "For starters, I want to know who dropped the ball on this one."

Hank chuckled. "That's funny, Jack."

Jack's lips twitched as he realized what he'd said and then went serious again. "Ba'al did drop in on us, and I for one want to know how he knew we would be on that planet."

Landry nodded. "Oh, I have a pretty good idea of at least one place to put the blame," he said, glancing over at Anise, who stood stiffly at his side. He turned back to the screen. "We'll figure it out, but first thing's first. Get home."

"Just as soon as you open the door for us, Hank." The camera shut off and Landry turned back to the Tok'ra beside him.

"I am most pleased to see that your people appear to be relatively unharmed after their time on Ba'al's Ha'tak."

"Relatively," Hank repeated remembering the brief description he'd been given of Carter's injuries. "They could have avoided it altogether if the Tok'ra had shared with us the threat to Carter's life before she stepped through the gate."

"I apologize for our delay." She glanced back at the still active gate. "Perhaps I can help speed the recovery of the team once they arrive. I did not bring a healing device with me, but if I recall, you have one here."

"It was sent out of this facility months ago, but I could have it brought back."

"Until then, I must go back to the Tok'ra base and report the progress that has been made here. I believe I may also have an avenue of investigation that has yet to be explored in regards to Ba'al's intentions." She tilted her head innocently. "If that information is not already in the possession of Colonel Carter."

"Oh, don't go just yet," he told her. "I want you to be there in the briefing to tell Jack exactly what the Tok'ra knew before SG-1 stepped through the gate two days ago."

OoOoOoOoO

He waited by her bed. He'd done it many times before, but this time felt different. Maybe it was because for the first time in years he had what he wanted right there in front of him. He knew it was going to happen. He even knew when. Then this.

It made him realize again that in life there are no guarantees.

And he felt old.

Sam hadn't opened her eyes in hours. Then again, the pain meds that coursed through her system probably had a lot to do with that. Despite their presence, she still tossed uncomfortably on the bed, her raging fever finding no relief. Her body chemistry was a little off since she played host to Jolinar. Drugs never worked quite the way they were supposed to. It was a good thing she didn't get sick very often. There was no telling what they'd have to do if she ever came down with something really serious.

At the moment, there wasn't a lot the doctors were doing aside from trying to make her comfortable. She'd been tucked into a bed in one of the isolation rooms. Her splinted leg stuck out from under the blanket, having been snapped back in place a second time, her foot wrapped in gauze. They'd decided not to operate on the breaks since they would be healed the new-fashioned way any time now. He hoped it would happen soon. How long would he have to sit and watch her fight?

A glance at the clock did nothing to ease his restless mind. Anise had been gone almost thirteen hours. She couldn't help Sam if she was off sifting around in some Tok'ra base. He sighed and slouched lower in his chair. She couldn't help her, anyway, until the healing device arrived from Area 51. It was taking way too long to get things moving. He knew there was a lot of red tape to cut through to get it on a plane to the SGC, but his patience was wearing thin. Every moment it wasn't here, Sam suffered.

He wished she'd open her eyes.

It had been a surprise to find Anise on the base. He grew angry even now as he remembered the debrief that had followed his arrival.

She'd known Ba'al was searching for Carter. They hadn't even warned the SGC. Leave it to the Tok'ra to let things escalate before stepping in. He was beginning to wonder if they even knew what loyalty was.

He sensed a presence beside him and looked up.

"How's she doing?" General Landry stood stiffly beside his chair. Jack had always wanted to tell his friend to relax a little. The man looked like he was always at attention.

"Fever's high. Any word on the healing device?"

"Should be arriving any time now."

"And Anise?"

"Jack, I'm learning pretty quickly that the Tok'ra will get here when the Tok'ra feel damn well ready."

Jack pursed his lips. "Only one I ever liked was Jacob… but then, _they_ didn't really trust him."

"So I've read." Landry turned his eyes from Carter to Jack. "Listen…"

"As far as I'm concerned, Hank," Jack interrupted, "You took the helm of this ship the second I stepped through that gate."

"I know that and you know that… hell, even she knows that." He gestured to the woman asleep on the bed.

"But the rest of them don't," Jack finished for him. He shook his head and ran his hand over his face. "You know the timing of this peace treaty was really inconvenient…"

Landry nodded. "I know, Jack, and I'm not trying to rush you." He looked a little sheepish. "It would just be nice if my men knew they were my men."

"I get it. It's not fair to you." Jack stood. "Come on. Let's round 'em up. We can go tell them right now."

Landry put his hand up to stop him. "I said, no rush, Jack." He looked back to the bed. "You belong here for the moment."

It was Jack's turn to look sheepish. "Not really," he confessed. "Not yet."

Hank smiled. "Close enough."

"Right," Jack answered and sat back down. He heard Landry leave, but his attention had already returned to Sam. She shifted slightly on the bed and he leaned forward.

"Hey, Carter," he whispered.

She shifted again and grimaced, her tongue darting out to wet her dry lips.

He picked up the cup of ice chips on the stand beside her bed and ran one across her lips. It melted quickly against her heated skin. Her tongue darted out again to capture the moisture.

"Carter," he told her. "It's getting pretty boring sitting here by myself."

That earned him a weak smile. "So… get some… friends." Her voice cracked a bit and she coughed. He picked up another ice chip. She took it into her mouth and sucked on it.

"I have friends, Carter. Good ones." He took a wet rag out of a bowl of water next to the cup of ice and ran it across her hot face. "They just don't laugh at all my jokes the way you do."

"Their loss." She opened her eyes part way and glanced around the room. "Home."

"Yup."

"Daniel and Teal'c?"

"Fine. Daniel took a blast to the arm. He'll be good as new soon enough. Teal'c took a licking from the super soldier and had a pretty nice looking wound on his hip. He'll heal just fine."

She nodded. "And you?"

"Aside from the fact that you've taken a couple more years off my already diminished lifespan… none the worse for wear."

"Sorry…" Her eyebrows raised in question. "…Sir?"

He nodded apologetically. "For now." He sighed. "I think I'm going to have to see this one through. Daniel says there's a good chance this power source Ba'al is seeking may have been built by the Ancients since it's believed to be powerful enough to dial such a long address."

She nodded and winced. He saw her muscles tense as she waited for the pain to pass. He continued to wipe her face with the cool water.

Finally, it seemed to let up. "Ancient tech…may need your… gene to run it."

"Bingo." He put the rag down and gave in to temptation. He reached for her hand. She slid her fingers between his and closed her eyes again. He sat and watched. He knew she was mulling everything over. Even with her dry lips, patches of black and blue mottling her skin and fever-rosy cheeks, she was still Carter. He knew she would understand why they'd have to wait. She knew as well as he did that life seemed to always find a way to put them on hold.

"It's ok, sir." She shifted so she could look him in the eyes. "We've waited this long." She swallowed. "What's another week or two?"

He gave her another ice chip. "If it's two weeks, I'll say to hell with it." He grinned down at her. "Two weeks and I can't be held responsible for my actions."

She chuckled. "I'm sure, sir."

He looked down at their joined hands and suddenly something in him didn't want to laugh anymore. Maybe it was the evidence of her torture he saw there under her fingernails. Suddenly he was back on the Ha'tak listening to her cry out as he set her leg.

She seemed to sense the change. She tugged on his hand to get his attention. His gaze didn't budge.

"Really, it's ok," she said, misreading the reason for his mood. "Jack?"

His name drew him out of his thoughts and he looked at her. Her strength shone through even under the fever. And she wasn't buried in her own pain. She was looking over with concern for him.

"You took one for your team out there." His eyes lowered back to their hands.

She didn't say anything. He could feel her watching him.

"I didn't like it," he admitted quietly.

"Can't say I liked it much, either," she smirked. "You've done it many times."

"This was different." He looked up and squeezed her hand. He gave her a little sideways smirk. "And you got to be tougher than I did."

"It was my turn, sir."

"Does that mean it's Daniel's turn next time?" he joked.

"You get to tell him."

"How about we let it be a surprise?" He waggled his eyebrows mischievously.

She giggled and closed her eyes again. "I'm tired," she admitted.

"You're entitled." He pulled his chair closer to the bed so he could sit back and still hold her hand. He watched her for a minute, his mind playing over the events that landed them here.

"You're good out there."

"Sir?" She didn't open her eyes.

He had to ask the question that pushed its way into his head. "You sure you're ready to give it up? The team?"

"For this?" She squeezed his hand again. "Every day of the week… and twice on Tuesdays, sir."

"See," he couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face, "I'll never understand that."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Daniel Jackson had his head buried in a book. He knew it was a cliché, but there it was. He didn't remember a time in his life where books weren't at the center. Even as a child, his parents had shown him their magic.

At the time, time travel had been the focus of his exploration. He remembered his father reading him the story of "The Time Machine" at bedtime. He'd asked if it were possible to travel through time like that and his father had told him that it was.

Books made that possible. And dirt. And bones. They allowed a person to travel to moments thought lost. Now, he knew the discoveries found in the dirt with the bones didn't just transport to the past, but to other realities, existences… places across this galaxy and countless others. If only H.G. Wells had known the possibilities.

He sat back and took off his glasses. Leaning back in his chair, he sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. As much as he loved reading and the hunt, it was bringing him little satisfaction today.

And his arm was itching like crazy!

"Are you well, Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel looked up at Teal'c standing in the hallway and motioned him into the room. "Just a little frustrated, Teal'c."

"Is there any way I may be of help?" Teal'c tilted his head slightly and stood with his arms at his sides. He had been limping when they came through the gate, but he showed no signs of the injury now. A bandage covered a small cut on his forehead. Even without the healing abilities of his symbiote, the man was still the toughest person he knew.

"It would help my search if I knew what I was looking for." At Teal'c's inquisitive look he continued. "I'm searching for references to sources of untold power." He picked up the book he'd been reading. "There are thousands... This book alone references three." He threw it back down on his cluttered table.

"You seek a needle in a haystack."

"Yeah, and unless I find a way to narrow it down, we have no way to figure out what Ba'al is up to."

"Perhaps the Tok'ra Anise will be able to assist you." Teal'c smiled slightly. "She has contacted us to say she will be arriving shortly."

Daniel remembered how cryptic she'd been when she left, though he had gotten the idea she was going to attempt to help. He stood. "When?"

"Any moment." Teal'c gestured to the hallway. "General Landry requested that I find you and accompany you to the gate room."

Daniel jumped up, grateful for the break. "It's about time."

He followed Teal'c to the gate room. Along the way the lights began flashing and he heard the announcement of an incoming wormhole. The blue vortex was just whooshing violently out over the metal ramp when he and Teal'c stepped into the room.

Anise stepped through the wormhole followed by two other Tok'ra who carried a large chest.

"Presents!" Daniel clapped and rubbed his hands together in mock excitement.

It was Freya who looked quizzically at him as she made her way down the ramp and spoke. "I have spent quite a bit of time searching through Jacob Carter's mission reports. I thought perhaps it would expedite matters if you were to join in the search, Doctor Jackson."

"I thought you said the Tok'ra had already exhausted their search of Jacob's logs."

"The Tok'ra have completed their investigation of his official documents; however, those were not the only mission reports he kept."

Daniel's eyes drifted again to the box held between the two Tok'ra behind Freya. "What's that?"

"Inside are the mission reports Jacob wrote for his own personal use. The Tok'ra never found it salient to inspect them thoroughly as they are inconveniently composed on paper."

"You mean Jacob left a paper trail?" Daniel chuckled to himself. Old habits die hard.

"He was most insistent. I believe he said he had spent most of his life documenting his movements for the United States Air Force in such a manner. He refused to stop just because he had 'invited a hitchhiker onboard.'"

"Yeah. Sounds like Jacob." Daniel smiled and motioned for her to follow him. "We can take the records to my office and look through them there."

Anise stopped and turned to him before passing and spoke in the dual voice of her symbiote. "I glanced through some of the documents as I sought to discover if they were worth researching."

Daniel felt a sudden unease. "What did you find?"

"Jacob makes mention of a discovery he and Selmac made early on in their blending. I believe this discovery is quite possibly the same as that which Ba'al seeks."

"Did he say what the discovery was?"

Anise shook her head. "He merely gave it a name."

"What did he call it?"

"He called it The Destroyer of Worlds."

oooooooooooooooooo

Chapter twelve is almost done... all I need is a migraine cure that works. Richard Dean Anderson in my living room would work just fine.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **It's taken me a couple of days to work on this chapter since I've been dealing with the migraine from Tartarus. Going on three days straight of headache. NOT fun. Though I have fun writing dialog, I find myself itching to get back to some action. It's coming real soon, so hang on to your hats... and I have great things planned for the end. So stick with me. I appreciate everyone who continues to post reviews... and also those who I'm hearing from for the first time. Again, thanks to sbz... a wise, wise master of the written word.

**Warning!** Put on your thinkin' hats...

**Disclaimer: **No livestock or housecats were killed during the making of this chapter. I can't promise anything about the spiders crawling in my bathtub.

oooooooooooooooooooo

_Daniel felt a sudden unease. "What did you find?"_

_"Jacob makes mention of a discovery he and Selmac made early on in their blending. I believe this discovery is quite possibly the same as that which Ba'al seeks."_

_"Did he say what the discovery was?"_

_Anise shook her head. "He merely gave it a name."_

_"What did he call it?"_

_"He called it The Destroyer of Worlds."_

ooooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Twelve**

"The Destroyer of Worlds?" Jack asked, toying with one of Daniel's old trowels. "Wasn't she that old lady who turned into the really hot chick…"

"Linea," Carter interrupted, throwing him a look. She sat in the high-backed chair resting in front of Daniel's computer. Her leg stuck out awkwardly in front of her wrapped in a black removable walking cast. Anise had used the device to begin healing her wounds, but Carter still needed a couple follow-up sessions before she'd be wholly mended. Her bones were fused, but the muscles around them were not yet able to take her full weight.

Daniel took the tool from Jack and set it on the table. "She was named the Destroyer of Worlds by the people of Taldor when she introduced a devastating plague there."

"So, I thought she did that whole forgetful act," Jack wiggled his fingers near his temples, "so she could keep the new life she found after she pulled off her little hijack of the SGC."

"When would Jacob Carter have met her?" Teal'c asked.

"I don't think he did."

Teal'c pursed his lips and tipped his head slightly.

"In this case, The Destroyer of Worlds is Jacob's term, not ours, and definitely not the Taldorians'. He could have been talking about anything." Daniel answered Teal'c's unspoken question.

"If we are to assume that he speaks of that which is hidden from Ba'al, it could possibly be an object," Anise added.

"So, probably not Linea." Carter looked back down at the file sitting in her lap. Her father was thorough, but in many cases extremely cryptic. "Ba'al said he wanted a power source."

"So, an object." Jack shrugged and picked up a dusting brush. He twirled it between his fingers.

"Not necessarily," Daniel said. "It would have to be something more powerful than he's had access to. Something like a ZPM wouldn't cut it."

"So, not an object?"

Daniel sighed. "I don't know Jack. It could be small like a ZPM or something as big as a sun."

"If it's a sun, Carter can blow it up," Jack joked. He gestured over his shoulder to Sam.

She pursed her lips. "I don't think so, sir."

"The thrill gone, Carter? Once you blow up one sun…?"

"Something like that." She rolled her eyes and turned back to Anise. "What makes everyone think dad even saw this power source? Ba'al didn't tell me how he knew."

"Or how you and your pals didn't." Jack turned to Anise.

"Jacob was on a mission for the Tok'ra when his vessel malfunctioned," Anise explained. "He was forced out of hyper-space earlier than planned and crashed on a planet that was not found on any of our known charts." She looked pointedly at Jack. "He found the power source on the planet accidentally. He then hid it and told no one."

"So," Jack said, "the question's still in the air. How does everyone seem to know about it?"

"Jacob was not alone when he discovered the power source," Anise revealed.

"But Ba'al said dad was the only one…"

Anise interrupted. "You misunderstand. Selmac was not alone when he made the discovery, nor was he the only one to hide it. He was, however, the only one believed to have survived the experience."

"Believed to survive?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Another Tok'ra, named Jeric, accompanied Selmac on the mission. He was injured when their vessel crashed and eventually succumbed to his injuries."

"And you know this because…"

"The Tok'ra stumbled on a group of vagrants while on a mission a few days ago. Jeric was among them. He claimed to have revived inside a sarcophagus shortly after Jacob left him. He was tortured by Ba'al from that moment until he managed to escape."

"And how long does he claim he was held by Ba'al?"

"Nearly three years."

"He's lying." Jack put the brush down and took a seat on a nearby stool. "Ba'al wouldn't have kept him alive for that long… and even if he had, there's no way he'd survive three years of using a sarcophagus and still know who he was."

"The Tok'ra are not affected by the sarcophagus as quickly as the Tau'ri, General O'Neill. If he is lying, how do you explain the fact that Ba'al knows about the power source… something no one else knew about until recently?" She spat out the comment with a sharp lift of her chin. "How do you explain Ba'al's knowledge of Jacob Carter's involvement?"

Suddenly, Anise lowered her head. When she looked up she seemed much calmer. "I must apologize for Anise," Freya told them softly. "She can sometimes get a little too passionate."

"Passionate… right."

"Did the Tok'ra operative explain how he was finally able to escape Ba'al's captivity?" Carter leaned back in her chair, beginning to look tired.

"Or let on how much exactly Ba'al was able to get out of him?" Daniel asked.

"He was unable to do so. The host died shortly after his arrival and we have yet to procure a new one. I'm afraid the symbiote's knowledge will remain hidden for the time being."

Jack snorted. "That's convenient."

Anise turned to Jack and frowned. "I understand that your trust in the Tok'ra is waning. I ask, however, that you consider providing us a little more time to prove ourselves loyal to the Tau'ri."

Daniel picked up one of the files they'd spread across his table. "Well, we can guess Jeric didn't reveal enough for Ba'al to find this planet or he wouldn't have gone after Sam." He shook his head and opened the folder. "And if we are to assume, as both Ba'al and the Tok'ra have, that Jacob wouldn't have wanted the power source lost forever… he must have left some clues somewhere so it can be found."

"We have much to look through," Teal'c scowled as he picked up a file and sat on a stool next to Daniel.

Jack grabbed one up for himself. "I just hope his reports aren't as dry as Daniel's."

Daniel looked hurt. "You don't like my reports?"

Jack threw him a sour look. "Oh, they're great, Daniel. I just love reading in fine detail about the Swailii aging rituals or the Sailing of the Chimps on P3X-698."

"Sailing of the Chis."

Carter chuckled.

"It's a beautiful ceremony, Jack," Daniel said.

"I, too, found it to be pleasing," Teal'c added with a slight smile.

"I believe the Chis to be a symbolic representation of sexual longevity and child rearing…"

"Stop right there…" Jack told Anise.

"Geez, Jack. What are you… nine?"

"Just drop it, Daniel. We have a lot of work to do without worrying about wacky rituals on some backwater planet."

Daniel just shook his head and turned his attention to the file he held in his hands.

OoOoOoOoO

"Thank you for coming so quickly." Bra'tac stepped forward and shook the hand of a smiling Colonel Reynolds.

"Always happy to lend a hand, Master Bra'tac." Reynolds took in the scene around him, waving his men forward. Two of them carried a large cooler between them. "You've made a lot of progress since the last time I was here."

Bra'tac chuckled. "The last time you were here we were still cleansing the area of Replicator remnants and repairing the structures of the Great Hall. Now, Dakara is all but restored to its initial splendor."

"But you have a bug problem…"

"I'm afraid so, though not of the same kind as last time." Bra'tac motioned for the team to follow him. "One of the surrounding villages has come down with an illness that causes fever. Since most of the Jaffa on Dakara are now without symbiotes, they are hard pressed to fight off this 'bug,' as you call it."

"Well, the doc says the medicine we brought should do the trick." Reynolds stepped off the stone platform behind the graying Jaffa, his team close behind.

It was a good hike to the village. When they got there, Reynolds saw few Jaffa milling about. He wondered just how bad this illness was.

Bra'tac seemed to read his mind. "Most of the people here are staying inside their homes to avoid catching the illness. Only a few brave souls are risking infection." He gestured to a couple men knocking wooden weapons in the center of the sparring circle.

"Put the cooler down over there and divvy up the meds," Reynolds told his men. He pointed to a small covered area that looked to be some sort of meeting place. "Bra'tac and I will start on this end." He gestured to Bosco and Peterson. "You two start knocking on doors at the other end." Bra'tac took a vial and syringe and started toward the first home. Reynolds followed, calling over his shoulder, "Roberts, stay with the box."

He heard the answering, "Yes, sir," and nodded to Bra'tac. They came to the first door and knocked. Reynolds didn't really like these humanitarian missions, but he knew it was part of the job. He would have preferred Landry sent a medical team, but it was Dakara. The world was still officially designated a hot zone.

The door opened and a couple Jaffa, whose complexions showed their discomfort, stepped back to allow them entrance. He let Bra'tac give them the medication and they moved on.

Reynolds lost count of how many homes they visited, periodically making trips back to the cooler for more medicine.

He fought off a bored yawn as Bra'tac knocked on the door of the next house. They looked at each other when there was no answer from inside.

"Perhaps they are too ill to let us inside," Bra'tac said.

Reynolds nodded and pushed the door ajar. "Anybody home?" he called. He could hear a rustling from inside.

"We are coming inside to help you," Bra'tac told the occupants gently. He pushed the door open the rest of the way and Reynolds heard his sudden intake of breath followed by the electric pop of an opening staff weapon. On instinct, he shoved Bra'tac to the side and hit the ground just before a blast flew over his head and out the door.

"What the…?" He came up again on one knee and brought his P-90 to the ready. The two Jaffa in the room were healthy, but only one of them was armed. "Put it down!" he ordered.

The Jaffa didn't listen. Instead, he aimed his weapon at Bra'tac. Reynolds squeezed the trigger and killed the Jaffa before he could get off his shot. The other Jaffa rushed him, knocked him over, and ran out the door. The other three members of SG-3 heard the blast and rushed towards the building.

Reynolds climbed to his feet, Bra'tac directly behind him.

The Jaffa noticed he was outnumbered. He stopped running and raised his hands in surrender.

"On your knees!" Reynolds barked. He pointed his P-90 at the Jaffa's head.

The man obeyed and Reynolds came nearer. The Jaffa looked up at him with contempt.

"Why did you fire upon us?" Bra'tac asked.

"You were here to stop us from doing the will of our god," he spat. Ba'al's symbol glistened in the sunlight from his forehead.

OoOoOoOoO

Anise drew back the healing device and turned to Jack. "I have done all I can. The bones and soft tissue are mended, though there will still be some residual soreness."

He nodded and looked at Carter, who was bending her leg up and down on the covers of her bed. Satisfied, he turned back to Anise. "Thank you."

"I am pleased I was able to help." She walked to the door. "I have promised to contact the Tok'ra and inform them of our progress. General Landry has scheduled the transmission to begin in a few minutes."

"You'd better get going then."

She nodded, leaving them alone in the room.

Carter smiled and leaned against the headboard. "I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be comfortable," she sighed.

"Jack! I think I have something," Daniel rushed into Carter's quarters.

"What is it?"

Daniel held out a file for them to see. "Jacob copied an inscription he found on the Destroyer of Worlds." He looked like he could jump out of his skin, a grin spreading across his face. It always amazed Jack how excited he could get simply by solving a puzzle.

"Why are we just now seeing this?"

"It wasn't exactly obvious. It was buried in a different file." Daniel paced in front of them. "He probably didn't even know what he had."

"Why not?"

"It's written in Ancient, Jack." He stepped up and laid the folder on Sam's lap. Jack leaned in to see what Daniel was pointing at. "He knew enough to translate this part to 'Destroyer of Worlds,'" he explained. "But his translation was a little off. What it actually says is, 'Bringer of Death.'"

"Oh, that's much better, Daniel," Jack said sarcastically.

Daniel ignored him and went on. He pointed to a section of the inscription a little further down the page. "Here, it talks about what Jacob called the three guardians."

"I'm guessing from the way you said that, he was wrong on that translation, too?" Carter didn't look up from her father's handwriting.

Daniel nodded. "It doesn't mean 'three guardians." It means 'three sisters.'"

"How does that help us?" Jack asked.

"It tells us where to look…"

"And how does it do that?"

"There are a lot of references in Earth history to three sisters. In almost all cases they're also known as the spinners of life and death."

"Fate," Carter said with a nod.

"Yes. The Three Sisters were the weavers of fate. They held untold power. Even the gods were afraid of them."

"So what does this have to do with Ba'al's power source?"

Daniel took a book from under his arm and placed it open on top of the folder on Sam's lap. "The sisters were known as The Moirae in ancient Greece. They didn't just spin fate, but were also known as the holders of a powerful secret… one that the gods tried to get them to reveal."

"I'm guessing they refused." Jack sat on the bed next to Carter and looked at the picture on the page Daniel had opened to. It looked like a rendition of some sort of fresco you'd find painted inside an ancient Greek palace.

"They never revealed it."

Jack sighed. "So, they knew how to keep a secret. I still don't see how this helps us."

"I'm getting there, Jack." He stepped up to the bed. "I think they did tell someone."

"Who?"

Daniel passed over another file. "In here, Jacob mentions a section of text he was unable to translate."

Carter took a paper out of the file. "There's a rubbing in here."

Daniel nodded excitedly. "It says, 'holder of our hope' and gives a name. Frigga."

"Who's Frigga?" Jack crossed his arms and leaned against the headboard.

"The sisters existed in Norse mythology as well, but they weren't the only spinners."

"And you think they told this other spinner the secret." Carter traded looks with Jack.

Daniel nodded. "In Norse mythology the sisters were called the Norns. It is said they became close to another spinner… a god in her own right. Mythology hints that she helped them hide something. Her name was Frigg… sometimes also known as Frigga."

Carter shook her head. "But why would they tell Frigga after keeping the secret from everyone else?"

"Because they wanted to ascend."

That got Jack's attention. "Ascend? They were Ancients? When did we decide they were Ancients?"

Carter shrugged.

"The sisters are depicted in art through several different cultures. In most cases, each is shown to be holding a staff or scepter… almost always identical." Daniel pointed to the picture in the book. "In many cultures such possessions were a sign of dominion, but the fact that they appear exactly the same no matter where and when you look… I think it's more literal."

"They actually carried them."

Daniel nodded at Sam. "Take a look." His finger brushed the picture at the top of each scepter. "What do those look like to you?"

Carter's eyes widened. "Control crystals."

"That doesn't mean they're Ancients." Jack shook his head, not convinced.

Daniel sighed. "No, but that doesn't really matter right now, Jack."

"Wait… a Norse god?" Carter's voice betrayed her excitement as she followed Daniel's thinking to its conclusion, leaving Jack behind looking from one to the other.

"What?" He held up a finger to Carter, "…and if you tell me it's simple, so help me…"

She chuckled. "The Norse gods weren't gods, sir."

Daniel nodded. "We need to speak to Thor."

oooooooooooooooo

My apologies to those of you who were expecting the well-deserved return of Linea. I thought it would be fun to trick you. Hope you're not too disappointed. The feedback was so cool I actually considered including her, but in the end decided there was simply no way to add her into my already complicated plot. Maybe I'll put her in a future fic. :0)


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **I am so sorry yet again for a slow update. I have a lot less on my plate this week and next week is fall break, so I have lots of writing time. Updates should happen quickly. That pesky migraine finally went away and I was able to work on this chapter. It came to me in stages that seemed to trickle into my mind a little more slowly than usual. Let's hope my muse doesn't try to play tricks on me again... didn't one of you offer her chocolate a while back? Maybe she's holding out for more. :0)

**Disclaimer: **Stargate is not mine. Neither is Teal's obsession with a certain movie. I wonder why they never made a Teal'c plush. If they had I would have bought it... instead, I will settle for the Jack O'Neill bobble head come Christmas time.

**Warning! **Watching the Star Wars prequels is like eating a cake made with Sweet 'n Low. You can just tell it's not the real thing.

ooooooooooooooooooo

_"Wait… a Norse god?" Carter's voice betrayed her excitement as she followed Daniel's thinking to its conclusion, leaving Jack behind looking from one to the other._

_"What?" He held up a finger to Carter, "…and if you tell me it's simple, so help me…"_

_She chuckled. "The Norse gods weren't gods, sir."_

_Daniel nodded. "We need to speak to Thor."_

ooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Jack left the control room as soon as SG-3 and Bra'tac stepped through the open wormhole. Landry was right behind him.

"Bra'tac," he greeted, his arms open wide. "Nice to see ya."

"It is good to see you as well, O'Neill." Bra'tac gave him a tight smile and walked down the ramp, his metal boots clanking the whole way.

Something had to be wrong. Jack had known it the second Reynolds had radioed ahead to let them know Bra'tac would be joining SG-3 on their return to the SGC.

Bra'tac turned his attention to the man standing beside Jack.

Jack gestured to his friend. "This is General Landry. He's… been running the SGC the last few days."

Landry met his questioning glance with a nod. They both agreed it would be best not to make any major changes given the circumstances. It was becoming pretty evident that O'Neill's departure was going to be postponed for the time being, anyway.

Bra'tac smiled and bowed. "It is my pleasure to meet another warrior of the Tau'ri."

Landry chuckled. "Don't know that I'd call myself a warrior…" He gestured for the Jaffa to follow him out of the room. The whole group made their way toward the conference room.

"Oh, come on, Hank. Don't be shy." Jack leaned in closer to Bra'tac and whispered. "He just doesn't like to talk about himself."

"We wound our modesty, and make foul the clearness of our deservings, when of ourselves we publish them."

Bra'tac nodded at Landry. "Wise words."

"Wish they were mine," Landry chuckled. "But, they belonged originally to a man named Shakespeare."

"Wisdom passed down through the ages is wisdom just the same," Bra'tac said.

"And you are most definitely one to speak of wisdom, old man," Teal'c walked up to the group as they neared the door of the conference room and clasped Bra'tac's forearm just under the elbow. Bra'tac smiled and returned the gesture. Landry's curious eyes took in the exchange.

"You as well, my friend." Bra'tac told him. He nodded to Daniel and Carter, who stood behind Teal'c.

"Good to see you, Bra'tac," Carter said with a smile. Jack noticed she wasn't limping as much as she had been this morning.

"It is good to be with the Tau'ri once again." Bra'tac agreed.

Jack watched Landry smile. "Shall we continue this inside?" Landry asked and motioned that they step through the open door.

Once they were seated at the conference table, Jack turned to Reynolds and gave him a nod.

"We ran into a little snag, Generals," Reynolds reported.

Jack figured as much. "What happened?"

"We weren't the only visitors on Dakara, sir."

"Oh?" Jack asked.

Before he could hear the answer, Anise entered looking, to Jack, a little rushed.

"I regret that I missed your arrival, Master Bra'tac." She nodded to the Jaffa leader. "I have heard much of your exploits."

"You are Tok'ra." It wasn't a question.

Anise nodded. "I am Freya, host to Anise. I would have preferred to greet you earlier, but no one informed me of your arrival."

Jack looked at her innocently. "Oh, they didn't?"

She gave him a look he couldn't read and sat beside Daniel at the table.

Jack turned back to Bra'tac and motioned with his hand for the Jaffa to continue.

"We encountered two of Ba'al's Jaffa in the village we were attempting to help," Bra'tac told him.

"What were they doing on Dakara?" Daniel asked.

"Nosing around as best we can tell," Reynolds answered. "We surprised them out of their hiding place. The one we were able to question admitted they'd gone to ground as soon as they heard we arrived."

"I would think Ba'al would want to stay as far away from Dakara as he could." Carter shook her head. "It makes no sense for him to be there."

"His Jaffa could blend in there," Daniel said. "It wouldn't be too hard for them to poke around without being noticed."

"True." Jack pursed his lips and folded his hands together. "But what were they nosing around for? There's nothing on Dakara except ruins under renovation and a few dusty trinkets." He seemed to notice what he'd said and turned quickly to Bra'tac. "No offense."

If Bra'tac was offended, he didn't show it. "The Jaffa we interrogated would not tell us what he was searching for, but a few people reported having seen him and his partner in the Temple."

"The location of the weapon," Anise said.

Bra'tac nodded. "It is."

Daniel shook his head. "Is it possible Ba'al thinks the weapon has the power he needs?"

"No." Carter said. "The weapon on Dakara uses energy in mass quantities. It doesn't create it."

"So what powers it?" Jack asked.

Sam shrugged. "It's an Ancient device. I'd assume a ZPM."

"But you haven't actually seen the power source?" Jack didn't relish the idea of having to deal with the weapon again. It was supposedly safe to organic creatures now that it was configured to kill Replicators, but Ba'al had helped make those modifications. Surely, he could figure out how to reprogram it again.

"No." Sam answered and glanced briefly at Bra'tac. "The Jaffa kicked us out of there pretty quickly and haven't let us back in to look at the weapon."

"The council is new," Bra'tac said. "They may see now that it is imperative we allow you to examine the weapon."

Daniel nodded. "Considering Ba'al has already been brave enough to send his own people there."

"I just don't see why he would think the weapon is the answer, though. There must be something else." Sam said. Jack recognized the troubled look on her face.

"Like what?"

She turned to him. "Ba'al knows dad is dead. If he also knows Selmac died naturally then he knows dad had time."

"Time for what, Sam?"

Sam turned her attention to Daniel. "Dad knew on Dakara that Selmak was going to die. If he was sitting on the kind of information we think he was sitting on…"

"He may have tried to make sure someone he trusted could have access to it," Jack continued for her.

"Yes." She turned to Teal'c. "Obviously Ba'al is thinking the same thing since he assumed dad passed that information on to me." She shrugged. "Since dad didn't, I can only guess he left it somewhere. Dakara would have been convenient and unexpected. No one would suspect a Tok'ra had left something so valuable on a Jaffa controlled planet."

"It would be a pretty safe place to hide something… especially if Jacob assumed the weapon would be sealed up again after it was used," Daniel said.

"Which it was," Bra'tac added.

"But he couldn't have hidden the power source there," Jack argued, turning back to Carter. "When you two left to look for the weapon the only thing he had with him was Daniel's translation notebook."

"And I don't think a power source of that strength would be small enough to hide in a pocket," Daniel said.

"It would not," Anise agreed.

"But Ba'al's men were looking for something." Reynolds said. "If the General hid something in or near the weapon... well, frankly, it's worth a look."

Carter shook her head in frustration. "It's more likely Ba'al's just sending Jaffa to all the places he knows dad visited before he died, hoping he'll get lucky."

"Maybe he's got the right idea," Landry said.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack watched her from the doorway. Carter obviously didn't know she wasn't alone. She sat in a chair next to her work table, her feet supported on the highest rung of the stool next to her, her legs bent. One of her father's files sat in her lap. He could tell she wasn't really reading what it said. Her finger traced the words in the file lovingly, her face sad.

Jacob had been dead less than four weeks. They'd buried him only two weeks ago. She'd barely had time to mourn and here she was, thrown into a situation that could do nothing but remind her of his absence.

And now they were headed back to Dakara. The location of the last mission she'd spent with her father; the one that caused him to sacrifice himself.

Jack stepped into the room, shuffling his feet a bit on the floor to announce his presence. At the noise she looked up and quickly moved the folder to her table and her feet to the floor. She cleared her throat. "We cleared?" she asked.

He nodded. "The team is," he answered.

She scrunched her eyebrows in suspicion. "In other words…"

He lowered himself on his haunches next to her chair. "I'm supposed to determine if you're well enough to be cleared to go off world."

"You know I am. The doctor said even the soreness wasn't enough…" She stopped, understanding dawning on her face. "They don't know if I can handle it."

"Oh, I know you can handle it, but Landry's new and…"

"You outrank him now." She was angry.

"I do, but you wouldn't like it if I went over his head any more than I would." He could tell from the look she gave him he was right. "Besides, Hank's taking over here and I don't think it would be a good idea if the former commanding officer stepped in and overruled his orders."

She nodded with a sigh. "I wouldn't let you, anyway." She looked him in the eye. "So, they're still going to trust your evaluation?"

"Why wouldn't they?" He waggled his eyebrows. "I'm a great judge of my Colonel's emotional well-being."

"I'm sure you are, sir," she chuckled.

"Seriously, though," he said, "this isn't going to be easy."

"No. It won't," she admitted. "Dad could have survived Selmac's death, but he felt finding Dakara's weapon was more important than his life. I don't think I'll ever be able to step foot on that planet without thinking of his sacrifice." Her jaw squared. "That doesn't mean I'm not able to push it aside and do my job."

"I know that." He stood and held out a hand to help her to her feet. "Landry will know, too, in time."

"I guess I'm just not too keen on having to prove myself to another commanding officer. I'll be spending time here off and on even after I transfer to Area 51."

"You've got nothing to prove, Carter."

"Then why are you here? He could have just asked me himself."

"I think you scare him."

"I scare him?"

"You scare everybody."

They walked comfortably toward the door, pretending not to notice each time their hands brushed against each other. "I do not scare everybody," she said.

"Do too," he said

"Do I scare you?" She stopped and turned to see his reaction.

He smiled an innocent smile. "No, Carter." He stepped ahead of her and into the hall. "I love a girl who can kick my ass."

OoOoOoOoO

The wormhole winked out behind her and Sam stepped forward to meet Bra'tac and the team of Jaffa who accompanied him.

Daniel and Teal'c fell in on either side of her.

"Welcome once again to Dakara." Bra'tac held out a hand and she took it. He nodded to Teal'c and Daniel. "We have opened the entrance to the weapon room so you may look inside, though I do not know how Ba'al's Jaffa could have found entrance."

Carter nodded. "Ba'al wasn't present when dad and I figured out how to open it. He didn't show up until later."

"Can't be too careful, though," Daniel said beside her.

"Indeed."

"I think I'd like to take a look around the village where you found Ba'al's Jaffa first."

Bra'tac nodded to Carter and turned to the other Jaffa with him. "We go to Dat'ra."

The group turned and began the walk.

Carter's newly healed leg twinged a bit partway through the hike, but she'd expected that. Daniel and Teal'c seemed happy enough walking next to Bra'tac and participating in what passed for small talk for Jaffa. She shook her head in amusement at their choice of topic.

"The great Master Jedi fell at the hands of his apprentice while the Dark Lord's own son watched nearby." Teal'c said with an air of mystery.

"Did the young man not try to avenge the death of the old warrior?" one of the Jaffa asked, enthralled by the tale.

Carter heard Daniel chuckle.

Teal'c gave a smile and nodded. "Young Skywalker raised his weapon and fired at the murderer, but he was not accustomed to its weight and his aim was not yet sure." His hand settled on the shoulder of the Jaffa who had asked him the question. "He risked his very life to avenge the death of his Master."

The other Jaffa grunted their approval.

Carter thought Teal'c was a wonderful storyteller. She was enjoying it so much that she almost missed the strange sound ahead and to the right.

Almost.

She stopped and raised her fist. The others immediately broke off their conversation and readied their weapons.

Sam felt a new sense of urgency rising up in her stomach. She knew what was out there. She'd spent too much time running from it to not recognize the sound of that footfall. She brought up her fingers to her eyes for her team, and then motioned from them to the rocky hills ahead.

They nodded and fell in beside her.

Bra'tac motioned for two of his Jaffa to go around to the left, and another two to the right. That left Bra'tac and another Jaffa to flank SG-1.

Carter knew it wouldn't do any good. She raised her weapon and waited.

She didn't have to wait long. The zip, zip of weapons fire assaulted her ears as the men Bra'tac had sent out were killed.

She hated being right sometimes. "Fall back!" She gave the call just as six super soldiers came around into view.

"Shit!" Daniel squeezed off a couple rounds.

"Go, Daniel! You and Bra'tac get to the Temple."

"Sam."

"That's an order, Daniel. Go!"

He threw her an angry look before he turned to run, Bra'tac following.

His Jaffa, Sam, and Teal'c held their ground just a bit longer. Sam felt the weapon kick in her hands. She was a good shot. So was Teal'c. Carter saw two of the soldiers fall.

So they weren't all real. Hope filled her. Maybe they were all fakes.

The Jaffa next to her took down another.

The one next to him didn't fall.

Nope. At lease one was real. It raised its arm and sent a blast zinging at Teal'c. He hit the ground, just missing the kill shot.

Sam shot down another before seeing the last fail to fall to the Jaffa's staff weapon.

Two.

"Time to go, boys."

Teal'c nodded his agreement and pushed himself up off the ground.

She helped pull him up and then the three of them ran. Sam knew their chances weren't good; they were better if they could find the opportunity to go to ground.

OoOoOoOoO

"Thor!" Jack grinned. "Buddy!" He looked around at the familiar surroundings of an Asgard flagship. Being beamed up in the middle of a conversation was old hat. This time, he was even happier than usual to see the little gray man sitting in front of him.

"I am glad you are well, O'Neill." The alien nodded his head. "I came as soon as I received your transmission."

"Yeah, see, we've got a little situation here. Since we got rid of those pesky Replicators for you, we figured you may have a little time on your hands to throw a little help our way."

"We are indeed in your debt, O'Neill, and we are already aware of Ba'al's search."

"And here I thought I'd get to clue you in for a change." Jack threw Thor a hurt look.

Thor ignored it. "I have been monitoring the movements of Ba'al's ships. They seem to have spread themselves wide in search of this power source."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"I have been monitoring his communications," Thor answered.

"Cool."

"I have also learned that SG-1 is on Dakara and that two of Ba'al's Ha'taks are in orbit of that planet as we speak."

Jack's heart skipped a beat. "He wouldn't send two Ha'taks just to retrieve his Jaffa spies."

"No," Thor agreed. "He wouldn't. The transmissions I have intercepted indicate he is aware of SG-1's presence on Dakara and is going to attempt a kidnapping."

"Carter."

"Indeed. Ba'al has already landed forces on the planet to that end."

Jack lifted his chin and squared his shoulders. "So, what are we going to do about it?"

oooooooooooooooooooo

And... we're back to the action for a bit. Told ya it wasn't far away.

So, let's see... I've now referenced Star Trek, Star Wars, Xena, She-ra... did I miss any? It's well-rounded fandom is what it is.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **Lots of action in this one! I bow down to the magnificence that is sbz. It's early and I'm not feeling so creative with my notes this morning, so...

**Disclaimer: **The characters aren't mine... well, one of them is. But the rest belong to other people.

**Warning! **The new video Brittney Spears just released is HOT. As in, she's nekkid throughout. Little eyes should shy away. Or at least blush a little.

ooooooooooooooooo

_Jack's heart skipped a beat. "He wouldn't send two Ha'taks just to retrieve his Jaffa spies."_

_"No," Thor agreed. "He wouldn't. The transmissions I have intercepted indicate he is aware of SG-1's presence on Dakara and is going to attempt a kidnapping."_

_"Carter."_

_"Indeed. Ba'al has already landed forces on the planet to that end."_

_Jack lifted his chin and squared his shoulders. "So, what are we going to do about it?"_

ooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Fourteen**

"There are three Ha'tak standing ready to engage Ba'al's vessels should they decide to show signs of aggression," the commander of the free Jaffa defense armada informed Jack through the open communication line to Thor's ship.

"They're just sitting there?" Jack knew Ba'al could be patient, but his ships had been over Dakara for about four hours now. What was he waiting for?

He must not have what he was there for yet. That was a good sign for his team.

"Since they arrived," the Jaffa confirmed. "We do not know why Ba'al has chosen to come to Dakara. There has been no communication from his vessels despite our attempts to contact them."

Jack nodded. "We believe Ba'al has people on the ground. He won't outright attack because he knows you'll win in a knock-down fight. He trusts that you won't make the first move either, since he's probably aware there are spies of the rebellion on pretty much all Goa'uld vessels."

"What does he hope to gain from this?"

"His target is one of the people I have on the planet." The most important person. "He hopes to grab her and go." Jack sighed. He was getting too old for this stuff. He was supposed to be headed to Washington, not back to Dakara. It wasn't his favorite place, either. Too much dirt. And the hospitality of the Jaffa he'd dealt with while signing the official peace treaty just sixteen days ago had been a little less than… well, hospitable.

"Your team left the Temple for a distant village approximately four hours ago. We do not expect them back for some time. There is no way to know if they have encountered any difficulty. If they have, we cannot risk the lives of many Jaffa for the life of one Tau'ri, General. Surely you can understand that."

"I had a feeling you'd say something like that." Jack had hoped he'd get a different answer, but this one didn't surprise him. "Is there anything you _can_ do to help?"

"We will continue to monitor the situation."

"Thanks." Jack couldn't keep the sarcasm from his voice. He shut off the transmission and turned to Thor. "We're not going to get any help from them."

"I do not believe we should interfere either, O'Neill. The free Jaffa do not act as predictably as the Goa'uld. Our presence there will only serve to make them nervous. Once we arrive, our actions will need to be made with caution. I do not wish to damage the Asgard's new relations with their leadership"

"So, you're telling me you're not going to help, either?"

"On the contrary…" Thor said, "once we arrive at Dakara I will attempt to locate any Tau'ri life signs and beam them onboard."

"Good thinking." Jack looked at his watch for the tenth time. They'd been in flight going on four hours… not long after he'd sent SG-1 through the gate, actually. Six hours to Dakara. "Isn't there a way to get this thing to move any faster? Shave off some time?"

"There is not, O'Neill."

It was possible SG-1 was fine. Sure. And Ba'al was just there to sightsee.

Jack's eyes moved back to the view screen that had gone black. "Right," he answered. He wished Thor hadn't been in such a hurry to leave Earth's orbit. He could have at least let Landry know about Ba'al's presence on Dakara. They could have sent a team. Two. As it was, it was just him, Thor, and a whole lot of time to twiddle his thumbs and wait. "It may be time Carter doesn't have," he said under his breath.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam, Teal'c and the only remaining member of their Jaffa escort crouched down behind an overturned column on the outskirts of what appeared to be an ancient town that was now reduced to ruins. Sam was grateful for the cover it provided. They'd managed to lose the drones, but it was only a matter of time before they were discovered again. She hoped Daniel and Bra'tac had fared better than the rest of them.

Crumbling rock a few feet away drew her attention. Her head snapped in the direction of the noise. She felt Teal'c tense beside her. She had thought the drones were behind them. This sound came from ahead… deeper inside the ruins.

She nodded to Teal'c. He darted quickly across to take cover behind a crumbled structure, closer to whatever it was that was stirring up the once undisturbed ruin.

The other Jaffa, Ka'ral, rushed to another fallen section on the opposite side.

It was her turn. She rounded the column quickly and hurried to a headless statue directly in front of her. Once settled, she met Teal'c's eyes across the way and nodded. He moved again, this time crossing in front of her hiding place and finding shelter behind another fallen wall. They continued to stagger their movement; Ka'ral, Sam, and then Teal'c… until they were within striking distance of their target, which was hidden behind some sort of dried out courtyard fountain.

She was about to give the order to jump when she saw a brown head peek out from behind the basin and a voice called quietly.

"Sam? That you?"

"Daniel?" Sam lowered her weapon and let out the breath she was holding.

"Yeah."

The three of them stayed low while they moved to Daniel's position behind the fountain. Bra'tac was hunkered down beside him. Both looked tired, but unharmed.

"I was hoping you'd been able to get half-way to the Stargate by now, Daniel," Sam said, not quite hiding the disappointment from her voice.

"There was another drone on the path back to the temple," Daniel said. "We had to fall back and head in the other direction."

"We, too, encountered the Kull warrior, Daniel Jackson"

"I kinda got that idea when you showed up here, Teal'c."

"So, we need a new plan. Those things out there won't let us around them and we're going the wrong way." Sam shook her head.

"I'm all for that," Daniel said.

They didn't get to say anything else. They heard footsteps approaching and fell silent. Sam peeked out and saw the head and shoulders of a drone above the crumbled ruins at the edge of the dead town. Its head turned to scan the area in that slow eerie way super soldiers moved.

"Get ready for it," she whispered to her group. They all shifted to get into a better position to run.

The soldier started into the ruins, walking slowly, its head moving from side to side as it looked for them. Each step brought it closer to the fountain at the center of the ruin.

Bra'tac touched Sam's shoulder. She allowed her attention to turn from the approaching drone. "We must choose different directions when we run," he said.

Daniel nodded. "He's right, Sam. That thing can only chase one of us if we split up."

Sam shook her head. She didn't want to split up again. There was only one drone here right now. They weren't yet to the point of extreme action. The Kull was getting closer, though. She motioned for them all to move around to the other side of the dry basin.

They moved just before the drone came within sight of their old position. When it saw nothing, it continued on deeper into the ruins. Once it was out of sight, the group let out a collective sigh.

"I'd say that was fun," Daniel said.

"Fun is not the word I would use," Bra'tac said. He sat down on the ground, his back to the fountain.

"I get the feeling there was never anything to find on Dakara," Daniel whispered to Sam.

"You think?" Sam bit off. This entire situation stank of trap and they'd fallen for the whole thing. She shook her head in frustration.

"If he knew there was nothing here, why did Ba'al send his Jaffa?" Ka'ral asked. He peeked out over the dusty brick.

"To lure me here," she told him.

"Even if he did intend for his Jaffa to be discovered," Daniel asked, "how could Ba'al be sure the SGC would send you?"

"Think about it. It's my father. It's the doomsday weapon. Of course they'd send me."

"Why would Baal go to such great lengths…" Ka'ral shook his head.

"Because he thinks my father told me where the power source is." Sam stiffened when she heard the familiar footsteps approaching the area in front of them again. The super soldier was on its way back out of the ruins. She motioned for the rest to get down. They followed her orders without question. Sam fought off the chill that ran down her arms. This was far too familiar. It was a game she'd rather not have to play again. Still, it wasn't like she had much choice. At least this time, there was an operational Stargate to run for… if they could ever get around the blasted drones.

And if Ba'al hadn't already blocked it off.

She didn't know how he could have, though. This was Dakara. It wasn't some backwater planet. It was a Jaffa stronghold. Chances were these three super soldiers were the bulk of his forces.

The footsteps halted for a moment while her heart hammered in her chest. The Kull warrior then lumbered away from their hiding spot. "I think I'm beginning to agree with Bra'tac," she told them quietly. "This is the plan. We split up. One group heads for the gate and if it's blocked will fall back to the Temple."

Daniel nodded. "And the other group?"

"Diversion."

"Do not the Tau'ri have weapons that will kill a Kull warrior?" Bra'tac asked.

"Yes," Sam said. "If the first group can somehow get through the gate, they can bring a team back armed with the weapons to help the other."

"I concur," Teal'c said.

"So, which of us draws the short straw?" Daniel asked.

Carter looked up at him. "I do." God help her.

"No." Daniel said firmly. "You won't go it alone."

"Daniel, this isn't working. Those things are after me. Chances are, once I leave you all here, they'll completely ignore you and you'll be able to simply stroll up to the gate."

"Unless Ba'al has landed more of his forces," Bra'tac said. "We do not know what the situation is at the Temple."

"And, we're not even sure they're only after you," Daniel reminded her.

She gave him a look that told him he was grasping at straws. "You know full well they're after me. I can draw them away and let you get help."

"You won't need help if you're dead. It'll take us at least… hell, we've been running in circles." He turned to Bra'tac. "How long will it take to get to the Gate from here?"

"From these ruins it is a four hour walk. We will be running."

Daniel nodded and looked back at Sam. "So, it'll take us about three hours to get to the Gate. It'll take time for the SGC to send help, and then we have to get back to you. That's if we don't have any trouble."

"I evaded a drone for thirty-six hours. I think I can handle this."

"The situations are not exactly the same, Colonel Carter," Teal'c pointed out.

"No, they're not. I'm armed and I'm not injured this time," Carter said.

"There's also no real cover like there was at the Alpha Site… and there are three of them out there."

"Daniel. Go. Get help. I'll keep them busy. That's an order."

"I do not believe it is an order I will choose to follow."

"Dammit, Teal'c," Carter said angrily, "you don't get to choose which orders you want to follow!"

He stared back at her, his jaw squared stubbornly.

She looked at Daniel. He returned an equally stubborn look.

Bra'tac and Ka'ral simply watched, curious how the situation would play out.

She threw her hands up and rolled her eyes to the sky in frustration. "Does it not say Colonel on my uniform?"

Daniel's face broke into a grin as she channeled their former commander.

Teal'c's lips twitched.

Carter sighed. "Ok. Teal'c, you're with me. Daniel, I'll shoot you before I let you run from those three drones with me."

Daniel opened his mouth to argue. She held up a stern finger that told him she wasn't going to take no for an answer. He shut it before saying a word.

She turned to the other two. "Bra'tac, I'd appreciate it if you and Ka'ral would accompany Daniel to the gate."

"I would be honored to see him safely there, Colonel Carter."

She smiled at him and looked up at Teal'c. "You ready?"

He nodded and grasped his P-90 a little tighter.

She turned back to the others. "Run for the gate. Get to the SGC. Come back and save our butts. Got it?"

"Got it," Daniel said. "Just be careful."

"Believe me, Daniel, the last thing I want to do is be caught by one of those things. I've seen enough of Ba'al's little shop of horrors to last me a long, long time."

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel and the two Jaffa waited fifteen minutes after Sam and Teal'c left before starting out toward the Temple. They had to pace themselves for the long run. Daniel knew he was slowing Bra'tac and Ka'ral down, but he also knew if he pushed any harder he wouldn't be able to make it.

After a solid hour at an even jog, Daniel knew Sam had been right. The drones didn't care about Bra'tac, Ka'ral or him. They were after her and now that she wasn't with them, they were of no interest. The knowledge didn't lesson his sense of urgency, though. It meant Sam and Teal'c had three Kull warriors tailing them.

How could they possibly survive? It would be a good seven hours before he could bring them any help.

Bra'tac seemed to read his mind. "I know you worry, Dr. Jackson." The old man was keeping pace as if he were a hundred years younger. "Our friends will not die easily. They will survive."

"I'd like to be as confident, Bra'tac," Daniel panted, "but the odds aren't in their favor."

Bra'tac smiled. "On the contrary, knowing them, I'd say the odds are quite favorably stacked."

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel had been right. This wasn't the Alpha site. There weren't any trees to hide behind, no bushes to burrow under. There was just a lot of dirt, a few scattered rocks, and an occasional outcropping of ruins.

The drones had caught up with them several times since they'd broken off from the rest of the group. So far, they'd managed to get away each time, but their encounters were beginning to happen more frequently and escaping was growing more difficult each time. The only good news was that Sam had visual confirmation that all three were definitely on their tail. That meant that if there weren't any more of them, the rest of the group was well on its way to the gate.

Sam knew that if Teal'c hadn't insisted on coming with her, she'd have been captured or dead by now. His knowledge of the area was the only thing that saved them on several occasions. They huddled behind a large outcropping of boulders that had broken off a tall sculpture probably thousands of years ago. One of the drones had caught up with them and opened fire. The stone would stop the super soldier's weapon a couple of times but after that, it would be pulverized to dust.

"There's got to be a better way to go about it than this," she said. She ducked another blast from the warrior's armband. This one managed to fry a lock of her hair that was exposed over the top of the boulder.

"I have been guiding us to a possible hiding place," Teal'c said, "if we can get to it."

"I'm listening."

"There are cliffs nearby… on the edge of a valley. There are many crevices that will provide cover and will prove challenging for the drones to transverse in their armor."

"How far?"

"We have been heading towards it for some time now. It is not far, but there is little cover between here and there. I had hoped there would be a greater distance between us and the drones when we reached this point."

She nodded. They'd have to sprint and hope they didn't catch a blaster shot to the back. "How far is 'not far?'"

"Roughly two miles."

He pointed to an outcropping to their right. It appeared a hazy red outline through the thick air of Dakara.

Two miles.

Ok. They could do that. "I run about a six minute mile, but I'm already tired. There's no way we're going to make the run out in the open with that drone on our tail to start." She risked a peek around the edge of the boulder. The super soldier would be on them soon. She ducked back in time to miss his well-aimed blast.

"Indeed." He smiled and reached into his vest, coming up with a block of C-4.

She returned his grin. "Two, you think?"

He nodded.

She took out one of her own blocks and they stuck remote detonators into each. "You blow yours, I'll blow mine."

The drone was almost on them.

"Close your eyes and think happy Christmas thoughts, Teal'c," she said. She turned to get a better leading foot.

"I do not understand, Colonel Carter."

She rolled her eyes. "Just run!" With that, they jumped up and ran towards their only hope for safety. The super soldier raised his arm and took aim.

"Now, Teal'c!"

They both set off the charges as the drone stepped beside the blocks. The ground shook. Sam covered her head to guard against pieces of rock that rained down on them even as they ran farther away from the explosion. They couldn't stop to check on the drone. The blast was sure to draw the attention of the other two.

Besides, she didn't need to look to know the C-4 hadn't killed the monster. It would be back on its feet within a minute. She only hoped that minute would be enough to put some distance between them so they could make it to safety.

Sam felt the burn in her newly healed leg as she pushed it past its endurance. Still, she ran. After a few minutes, she did risk a quick glance backward. The soldier followed, but was farther behind them than she'd thought he would be. The C-4 must have delivered a harder punch than they'd hoped. The good news was overshadowed by the realization that even with the head start the C-4 had given them, there was no way they would make it to the cliffs before the drone gained on them enough to be in weapon's range.

She was right.

Just as they neared the first spattering of rock signifying the change of temperament in the landscape, the drone fired. The shot flew through the air. It hit its mark and burned through the flesh of its intended target.

ooooooooooooooo

Chapter fifteen will be posted tomorrow! Promise.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Told ya so.

**Disclaimer: **These characters aren't mine. The worlds aren't mine. Richard Dean Anderson isn't mine. Damn.

**Warning! **All stunts are performed by highly trained professionals. Don't try any of them at home.

ooooooooooooooooooo

_Sam felt the burn in her newly healed leg as she pushed it past its endurance. Still, she ran. After a few minutes, she did risk a quick glance backward. The soldier followed, but was farther behind them than she'd thought he would be. The C-4 must have delivered a harder punch than they'd hoped. The good news was overshadowed by the realization that even with the head start the C-4 had given them, there was no way they would make it to the cliffs before the drone gained on them enough to be in weapon's range._

_She was right._

_Just as they neared the first spattering of rock signifying the change of temperament in the landscape, the drone fired. The shot flew through the air. It hit its mark and burned through the flesh of its intended target._

ooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Sam pushed herself to keep going. She heard Teal'c stumble beside her. The drone was coming up quickly behind them. She imagined she could feel its breath on the back of her neck were it not wearing a helmet.

She could see the edge of the cliffs ahead. Cliffs. Right. It was the freakin' Grand Canyon! Just like that landmark seemed to do, the yawning hole beckoned them, as if trying to pull them inside. And they were rushing right for the edge.

So was the super soldier. She felt his hand wrap around her upper arm and pull. She yelled out. It jarred her to a stop that was so sudden she felt pain shoot all the way up her arm.

Teal'c skidded to a stop beside them. His left arm hung limply at his side; blood drained from the wound in his shoulder.

The soldier hit Sam hard across the face. She fell closer to the edge of the cliff and slid to a stop a few yards away.

Teal'c body slammed the drone, taking it down to the ground. He only had use of one arm, though, and posed no real threat to the monster. It pulled its weapon arm free from his grasp and raised it to his chin. Sam saw that the whole situation had gone completely to hell. She couldn't watch the thing kill Teal'c. There was only one thing she knew to do. She jumped up to her feet and yelled.

"Stop!"

The drone turned. Sam stood precariously close to the edge.

"Your god wants me alive. Kill him, and I'll jump." Sam stood tall and squared her shoulders. She took a small step backwards. The loose gravel shifted under her feet; a few rocks spilled over the edge and tumbled into the abyss below. "Let him go and I'll come with you."

Teal'c was released. The drone stood, leaving him lying on the ground.

Sam watched it approach. She stood still, jaw clenched. There was no way she was going back to that torture room. She'd die first.

Teal'c's face blanched when he figured out what she planned to do. He jumped up just as the drone reached for Sam.

She held out her hand for the drone. At the last second, she flipped her hand and clamped down hard on its forearm. She pulled with all her might. Caught off guard, the drone took a step forward. Its extra weight on the already unstable edge was all it took. Sam felt the ground beneath her fall away and gravity seized them both. Her momentum sent the drone off balance and it fell forward with her… into the gaping hole of the canyon.

She heard Teal'c shout as he rushed to reach for her.

"No!"

She let go of her hold on the drone and scrambled to grab at the rocky ledge as it passed quickly by her waist and then her shoulders. Her hands hit the solid surface. She clawed her nails into the soil. For a second, it was enough. Her downward motion jarred to a stop.

She clung precariously to the edge, arms extended up over her head. But the super soldier continued to fall. Its weight bore down on her. It knocked into her on its way down.

Sam's hands slipped away from their perch. Her shout echoed through the canyon as she again began to fall. Her hands scrabbled for anything they could grab hold of; her nails tore against the rough rocks that passed quickly before her eyes.

Suddenly... salvation. She found purchase on an outcropping of rock that jutted from the side of the cliff. Her body jerked to an abrupt halt; her shoulders pulled painfully. She heard the impact of the drone's body crash on the ground below.

Her heart pounded in her ears and her arm muscles screamed, but she wasn't falling anymore. Her legs swung below her, threatening to dislodge her grip on the rock. She looked down.

Mistake.

She forced her eyes in the opposite direction and met Teal'c's panicked expression. She'd never seen that look on his face before.

"Are you well, Colonel Carter?" he asked. She had to be mistaken, but she could swear she heard his voice shake.

"Been better, Teal'c," she choked out.

"Can you climb up?" She had fallen too far for Teal'c's outstretched arm to reach her.

"Gonna have to." She forced her panic down to her gut and put full effort into the most important pull-up of her life.

Sweat fell into her eyes and her muscles burned. She lifted her full weight up, searching for some kind of perch with her feet. Finally, her right toe found what she was looking for. Gratefully, she lowered some of her weight onto it and sought the same for her other foot. Soon she was balanced on both feet, taking some of the pressure off her hands.

"Think I've got it, Teal'c."

"That is good." He smiled. "Can you now climb?"

She nodded and looked for a hand hold farther up the cliff face. She found it and made her move. She continued upward until she felt her muscles shaking from the exertion. Her mad scramble and sudden stop had taxed them almost to their limit already.

She felt Teal'c's hand grasp her wrist and she let him pull her the rest of the way up onto solid ground.

They both rolled over to their backs and stared at the red sky, breathing heavily.

Teal'c spoke first. "You have made me an old man, Colonel Carter."

Sam chuckled. "You mean I've given you gray hairs?"

They turned their heads toward each other. He smiled at her. "Indeed."

OoOoOoO

Daniel followed Bra'tac through the courtyard of the Temple toward the Stargate, his hands on his hips as he tried to catch his breath. Sweat ran down his face and neck into the collar of his T-shirt. He'd removed his BDU jacket long ago. He didn't bother acknowledging the Jaffa he passed, knowing there was no way they could help. Only the SGC had weapons effective against a Kull warrior. Any Jaffa attempting to kill one would most definitely be killed for his trouble.

He found himself wondering if Ba'al had any more Jaffa spies wandering around Dakara waiting to snatch him up before he was able to dial home.

The three of them stopped as they reached the columns that stood at the end of the long pathway to the Stargate. Daniel didn't see anything out of the ordinary around the gate, but that didn't mean there wasn't danger lurking in those places he couldn't see.

"I will go ahead and dial the gate," Bra'tac told him. "Send your transmission as soon as the connection to your world is made."

"No, Bra'tac. I can't let you do that. I'll dial the gate."

"The Jaffa know me. It will not seem odd for me to go through the Chappa'ai. You, however, will be an instant target should one of Ba'al's Jaffa be present here."

Daniel hated that the old man made sense. He nodded agreement and watched Bra'tac step out from behind the column, his shoulders squared and head held high. Ka'ral went with him, and Daniel could tell from the tenseness of his back and the way his knuckles tightened around the weapon that hung at rest by his side that he was on guard and ready to fight.

Both men made it to the gate without incident. Bra'tac dialed Earth's coordinates on the DHD and the wormhole whooshed open in front of them. Daniel immediately pulled out his radio and called for an answer from the SGC.

It was General Landry's voice that answered his call. "You're early, Dr. Jackson."

"Ba'al is here, General. He sent a few Kull warriors to take Sam back. She ordered me back to the gate," he looked at his watch, "a little under three hours ago. They've got her and Teal'c on the run. Requesting another team be sent through with Kull disruptors so we can get rid of the problem."

"I'll send SGs three and five." No hesitation.

Daniel nodded gratefully, though he knew Landry couldn't see him. "Dakara's probably a bust, sir. We haven't looked at the weapon yet, but we're pretty sure this was a trap for Sam. Jack will probably want to come through with the teams."

"I'll make sure to let him know next time I see him," Landry answered.

"What do you mean, 'next time you see him?'" Daniel scrunched his nose and looked up at the ruin behind him. "Isn't Jack with you?"

"No. He disappeared from here in a big flash of white light not long after your team went through the gate. Walter here tells me there's no reason to worry about it. Says it happens all the time."

Daniel could hear the mixture of humor and fascinated frustration in the General's voice.

"He's not wrong, General." He glanced at his watch. "Any idea how long it'll take for those teams to get here?"

"They're suiting up now. Just hang tight. Help's on the way."

"Yes, sir." He turned off the radio and smiled at Bra'tac who approached from the walk-way.

"It does not appear Ba'al has sent any more Jaffa to Dakara," Bra'tac said confidently.

Daniel nodded but wasn't too sure. He squinted his eyes against the sunlight cast through the center of the giant naquadah ring. "We'll find out when our teams arrive," he said. "If there's going to be a firefight, that's when it will happen."

OoOoOoO

Sam clung with bleeding fingers to the cliff wall, chancing a glance down at Teal'c's once bald head. The sunlight reflected off the symbol on his forehead, blinding her for an instant. "See any place to rest down there?" After her near catastrophe, she'd relaxed just a few minutes before she and Teal'c decided to scout a better place to climb down into the valley. The area where she'd fallen was simply too steep to attempt the climb.

Teal'c glanced around and shook his head. "Not here." He nodded to his left. "Possibly there. There may be a shelf, but I can not be certain."

"Let's check it out, ok? I can't feel my fingers anymore and I don't know how you're doing this with that shoulder." Her fight to stay alive had taken its toll and the climb was wearing on her already sore muscles and bruised knuckles. She could feel blood trickling from the scratches on her arms. Still, Teal'c was in far worse shape and without a symbiote to treat his wound, she worried he was pushing too hard.

Teal'c began moving in the direction he'd indicated. "Once the initial numbness wore off, it was not so bad."

"Yeah, right, Teal'c." She stretched her leg out for the next foothold and settled a toe on it. She risked a peek down at the ground below, the memory of her fall still fresh in her mind. It played out for her in slow motion every time she let herself think about it. The ground disappearing beneath her. The pain and relief as her hands connected and held. The terror when the drone knocked her loose. It was enough that she'd given their climb down into the valley a second thought before shaking her head clear and forcing herself to scoot over the edge.

At least the General wasn't here. She chuckled at the thought. If he were, she'd have to listen to his grumbling the whole climb. She loved him, but he could be a pain sometimes.

Hmmm. She hadn't meant to think that, but there it was. Love was such a strong word and they hadn't really had a chance to explore any of that yet. How could she really be sure that what she felt for him was love?

She shook her head. Who was she kidding? She'd never felt for anyone the way she felt for him. Not Jonah, not Pete, not even Martouf… and she had loved him. How could she not have with the strength of Jolinar's love for him coursing through her? No. Jack was different. Once they started down that path she knew exactly where it would lead. That was the only reason she was willing to make the move to Area 51.

She glanced back down to Teal'c, who had made quite a bit of progress in such a short time.

The hardest thing was going to be telling the other men in her life. She should have done it already, but everything had happened so quickly and then she hadn't really known how to break it to them. She knew they'd be happy for her but it would hurt them, too.

"I was correct, Colonel Carter," she heard Teal'c call. "There is a shelf here."

"Thank God!" She moved toward him. He was about a third of the way down the cliff face standing on a ledge about the width of his foot. It was hard to see how long it was, but she could tell it was at least long enough for them both to stand there.

A few pebbles hit her on the crown of her head. She froze and looked up. A drone stood at the top, staring down at the body below. She sucked in her breath and hugged the wall. Maybe it wouldn't be able to see her from its angle. She noticed Teal'c do the same. She knew it wouldn't fire on her. But Teal'c was a different matter. It wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

Luck wasn't on their side. It spotted Teal'c and raised its weapon. Teal'c was on the move in a split second, shuffling sideways across the shelf. The drone began firing; the shots sent bits of rock into her friend's face.

It was difficult for the soldier to get a good angle for a kill shot but that didn't stop it from trying. Sam clung to the wall and could do nothing but watch until a wild shot sent debris in her direction. She closed her eyes and when she opened them Teal'c was gone.

"Teal'c!" she cried. She hadn't seen him fall. Hadn't heard him yell. Her heart leaped into her throat and she searched the ground wildly for his body. "Teal'c!" she yelled again.

The drone stopped firing and looked at her.

"Colonel Carter!" She heard Teal'c call.

Relief flooded through her. Where was he?

"Come toward the shelf," he instructed.

"Where are you?" His voice seemed to be coming from where she'd last seen him… but he wasn't there.

"There is a cave here. I am inside."

"You are one lucky Jaffa, Teal'c," she called to him. She started climbing down again, trying to ignore the silent soldier standing above her. She could sense him stepping along the edge to mirror her movement along the cliff as she climbed.

Finally, she reached the shelf and shuffled along it until she came to an opening. Teal'c helped her inside.

"Amazing."

"Indeed."

The cave was incredibly small. It wasn't big enough for them to stand, but it was a good six feet deep. They could sit side by side comfortably.

"I think we can just wait here for the cavalry."

Teal'c nodded. "I do not believe the Kull warrior will be able to climb down."

She chuckled. "Must be frustrating to be him right now." She shook out her sore arms and flexed her fingers.

His lips twitched. "I would suppose so."

Sam looked out across the valley below. There was a mountain range not far away. The planet's sun was beginning its final descent behind them. For the first time in too many hours she allowed herself to relax. "So, how cold does Dakara get at night?"

"Cold."

"Well, guess we could always cuddle."

"I do not cuddle."

"Sure you do. You just need a good reason."

A few bright blasts impacted just above the cave opening, making Sam jump. She leaned forward. The second drone had somehow found a way to the bottom of the valley and was shooting up at their cave. It was no more successful than the one above.

"Guess they had to try."

"It appears we are indeed unreachable."

"Looks like it." She reached for the radio attached to her belt then settled against the wall again and drew her knees up against her chest. She held down the talk button on the radio. "Daniel."

There was no answer. The radio crackled. She tried again. "Daniel, do you read me?"

"It does not appear they are in range."

"It's too early, anyway." She put the radio down next to her. "Guess we're in it for the long haul."

OoOoOoO

Ba'al stared out at the stars in the sky above Dakara. He wasn't pleased with the way things were unfolding on the planet. Perhaps there was a way his efforts would not be a total loss.

"Contact my Jaffa searching the Temple," he ordered.

The Jaffa standing behind the console in the center of the room nodded. In moments the face of one of his men filled the view screen in front of him.

"Your orders have changed. The Tau'ri are sending reinforcements through the Stargate. You can not allow them to stop my Kull warriors from retrieving Colonel Carter. Hold them at the Temple for as long as you can."

The Jaffa bowed. "For your glory, Lord Ba'al."

The screen went black. He hated being limited the way he was here at Dakara. He didn't mind sacrificing the Jaffa he had on the planet, but if his Kull warriors failed he will have gone to a lot of trouble for nothing.

OoOoOoO

Colonel Reynolds descended the steps at the bottom of the gate on Dakara. An anxious Daniel greeted him and the two teams that accompanied him. "Didn't think I'd be back here so soon, Dr. Jackson."

Daniel ignored him. "We need to hurry. They've been out there several hours already."

Reynolds nodded. "How many super soldiers are there?"

"Three."

The Colonel motioned his men ahead. They got as far as the end of the walkway before the first volley of weapon's fire shot toward them.

"Take cover!" Reynolds called. He rushed behind one of the two columns nearby. The rest of them scattered, returning fire. "How many we got?" He listened for the reports from the rest.

"Five at one o'clock."

"I see seven at three o'clock."

"We've got at least fifteen at ten and eleven!"

Too many. "Harper! Dial the gate. We need at least another team." He ducked as another blast slammed into the pillar next to him.

"Got it!" Harper dodged his way back to the DHD and began dialing. A member of his team laid down cover.

"This was planned, Daniel!" Reynolds said.

Daniel and Bra'tac knelt down beside him. "There was no sign of them until you stepped through the gate."

"They knew we were coming. How could they have known we were coming?"

"I have no idea." Daniel squeezed the trigger of his P-90. Two Jaffa fell. "I didn't even show my face until I met you at the gate. They didn't have any way of knowing I'd contacted the SGC."

"Well, it looks like the Colonel and Teal'c are going to have to wait a bit longer." The gate whooshed open. "Radio the SGC. Tell them we're under fire and need another team. Two, if they can."

Daniel nodded and pulled his radio off his belt. He swore under his breath. The day things went as planned on a mission was the day he'd go out and buy a lottery ticket.

oooooooooooooooooo

New chapter on Monday! This one doesn't leave you hanging quite as badly as the last. Sam and Teal'c, maybe, but not you. (well, they're not really hanging anymore... more like sitting, but, hey, they're on a cliff)

Ok... maybe Tuesday night. I hit a bit of a snag. Sorry to make you wait.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Ok, so it took me a bit longer than I expected. I hope you'll forgive me. I struggled with the battle in this chapter. I've never written one before and it proved quite a bit harder than I had expected. For my first ever battle, I'm proud of what's here. I know there's room for improvement, but I'll have plenty of opportunity to work on the skill later in the story. Thanks again to sbz for her wonderful guidance as I worked through my first attempt.

**Disclaimer: **These characters are not mine. They belong to someone else, though in my dream last night, I knew them all well. We battled giant snakes together... though I don't know if I should admit that.

**Warning! **Don't finish off your Olive Garden left overs right before bed. They give indigestion and very strange dreams.

ooooooooooooooo

_"They knew we were coming. How could they have known we were coming?"_

_"I have no idea." Daniel squeezed the trigger of his P-90. Two Jaffa fell. "I didn't even show my face until I met you at the gate. They didn't have any way of knowing I'd contacted the SGC."_

_"Well, it looks like the Colonel and Teal'c are going to have to wait a bit longer." The gate whooshed open. "Radio the SGC. Tell them we're under fire and need another team. Two, if they can."_

_Daniel nodded and pulled his radio off his belt. He swore under his breath. The day things went as planned on a mission was the day he'd go out and buy a lottery ticket._

oooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Sixteen**

"Any chance some of those Jaffa that were milling about before all this started will help us?" Daniel had to shout to Bra'tac to be heard over the sounds of battle. The air was a lot warmer than it had been twenty minutes before… before the heat of staff weapons and P-90 fire had filled the atmosphere around the Gate.

Bra'tac shook his head. "They will not fire on these Jaffa to save the Tau'ri. They will not stop us from fighting back, however."

"How accommodating of them." Daniel had radioed the SGC at least ten minutes ago. He expected the cavalry any time now. Even then, he knew they had the low ground. Ba'al's Jaffa were in a much stronger position and they had greater numbers. "Come on, they can't expect to just stand by while we fight in their front yard."

"There are still large numbers of Jaffa who blame the Tau'ri for the poison that slaughtered thousands of our people."

"That was the Trust. We had nothing to do with it." Daniel ducked again to miss being hit. He fired back.

"The Jaffa do not understand the politics of your world. They merely see the dead."

"You can't believe that we would..."

"I do not. There are many who think as I do, but majority dictates the actions of the free Jaffa. Today, majority will keep them out of this battle. It is only due to your actions to help retake Dakara that you are once again considered trustworthy allies."

"Just great!" Daniel looked out across the courtyard through the haze. Reynolds fired his P-90 next to Bra'tac. Ka'ral stood next to him. SGs three and five were spread out in the immediate area, taking cover where they could. A couple stood behind the Gate. One crouched behind the DHD. The rest ducked down behind the columns or lay flat on the ground behind lower ruins here or there. The Jaffa that fired on them took cover behind the taller ruins on the outskirts of the courtyard.

The gate whooshed out with a bright blue roar and Daniel looked backwards to see SGs two and fifteen step quickly through the gate, guns drawn. They immediately took cover and joined in the firefight. Major Griff found his way to Colonel Reynolds and Daniel pretty quickly.

"We brought presents," he told the Colonel; he handed Reynolds a larger weapon.

Reynolds took one look and smiled. "That's more like it."

"That'll get us closer," Daniel shouted, "but it won't take them out."

"What weapon is this?" Bra'tac asked.

"Stun grenades," Daniel said. "It'll make a big boom and a blinding bright light. It'll stun them for about a minute or so."

Bra'tac nodded. "We will be able to move in closer, but you are correct. It will not end the battle."

"We brought something heavier, but didn't think the Jaffa would appreciate us using it." He swung around the rocket launcher he had strapped to his back. "Landry mentioned something about practically having a fresh coat of paint just laid down in the temple…"

"Something like that," Daniel agreed. "Still, the Jaffa aren't helping, so I'm a little less worried about their buildings and more concerned with Sam and Teal'c still stuck out there running from the super soldiers."

"I do not wish to see the temple damaged, but if it must be done…"

A bright light shining in his eyes drew Bra'tac's attention. Daniel followed his line of sight to see several people standing at a point above Ba'al's Jaffa in the ruins near the entryway of the temple. Daniel recognized Rak'nor at the front of the group. He held something metallic and used it again to signal Bra'tac.

A grin slowly spread across the old man's face. "Maybe we are not so alone as we thought."

Daniel used his watch to reflect sunlight back to the men and let them know they were seen. He didn't know how they could help, though. There didn't appear to be many of them, and aside from the brief flashes of sunlight they'd passed along, there was no easy way to talk to them.

"Ideas?" he asked no one in particular.

Major Griff stood and took Reynolds's place at the frontline. Reynolds knelt next to Daniel and Bra'tac. "Well," he scratched his chin, "we've got some Jaffa ready to spring from their six, a rocket launcher, stun grenades, and four SG teams." He nodded to Daniel confidently. "I think we can work with that."

OoOoOoOoO

"I do not see the wisdom in wasting resources trying to recapture that which you yourself let go just days ago." The deep duplicitous voice said from the communication screen.

Ba'al felt his anger rush into his chest. "It is not your place to see the wisdom in anything I choose to do. If you wish to retain my favor, I suggest you remember that."

The figure on the screen bowed. "I apologize, Lord Ba'al. I did not mean to disrespect… I merely do not understand…"

"I did not come to Dakara to capture Colonel Carter, though when the situation arose, I decided the opportunity to acquire her alone was too good to pass up."

"There is no need…"

"No need?" Ba'al's teeth bared. "I am growing impatient with your inability to produce what I want."

"If you were more patient…"

"If your information were more timely I would not have felt the need to investigate Dakara's weapon on my own." Ba'al slammed his fist on the panel in front of him and his eyes flashed. He seethed for a moment and then his face suddenly relaxed. He straightened to his full height and placed a calm smile on his face. When he next spoke, his voice was measured and controlled. He saw how the change affected the face on the screen. "I did not agree to this collaboration out of the kindness of my heart. You came to me because you needed me. We are not equals."

"Yes, Lord Ba'al. I understand."

Ba'al's smile reached his eyes as he watched the mixture of nervousness and anger color the cheeks of his collaborator. "I do not think you do," he said pleasantly. "With the Replicators gone and the Goa'uld on the run, I will soon be in a position to take up the mantle of power left vacant. It would be best you remember who you have chosen to ally yourself with. Next time you speak to me present yourself with a little more humility. You may have been in a powerful position at one time, but now you are just as weak as the rest."

Another nod.

"When I let Colonel Carter go I was under the impression you would be more productive. I grow weary of waiting for you to point me in the right direction."

"Just a few more days, Lord Ba'al, and I will provide you the name of the planet."

"You'd better," he said, "or you will share the fate of the Tau'ri."

OoOoOoOoO

"Ready?" Reynolds handed Daniel his P-90 after he put his pack on the ground next to Bra'tac.

Daniel nodded an affirmative. "No."

Reynolds smiled at the sentiment and patted him on the back. "We'll cover you the best we can. Once you're past the Stargate you'll be out of range of most of their weapons, anyway."

"It's not the run I'm worried about. It's the possibility that they'll take chase once I get around them that worries me."

"Well, hopefully they'll be too concerned with holding us back to worry about you."

"One can hope," Daniel agreed.

"Good luck, Daniel Jackson." Bra'tac nodded and took up his staff weapon.

"Remember," Reynolds added, "you've got fifteen minutes before the witching hour."

"Got it." Daniel looked behind him at his destination.

The courtyard was reminiscent of an ancient Roman coliseum. It was basically a big hole in the ground surrounded by crumbling blocks of stone like giant steps. Buildings stood around the top of the circle above them, most reduced to a few columns and broken walls. Rak'nor and his buddies were inside one such building; one of the more intact structures that stood next to the giant mountain that housed the temple. Ba'al's Jaffa had secured positions directly under them.

Well, it was now or never.

With another nod at Bra'tac and Reynolds he pushed off the ground and ran away from the battle.

He didn't take the time to look behind him. He tried to ignore the hairs that rose on the back of his neck as he imagined several Jaffa aiming at their newly acquired target. He ran as hard as he could, hoping the SG teams could cover him long enough to get out of weapon's range.

He poured on speed as he neared the Stargate.

He saw one of the men there take aim and fire behind Daniel just as a blast hit the ground at his feet, kicking up dirt and rock. He didn't even want to know where that would have hit him had the SG member not killed the shooter before he fired on target. The soldier once again took aim and fired to cover Daniel's escape. He nodded his thanks to the man as he passed him.

Once past the Stargate, he propelled himself to and then up the incline of the amphitheater. His knees complained when he hit the large steps; they were too tall to take comfortably but he ignored the pain and catapulted himself upwards to the top.

When he reached higher ground he took a moment to look down at the battle below. It was hard to believe he'd been in the middle of it. Things appeared almost surreal up high above the danger.

He shook his head and began to run again, this time through the ruins at the top of the courtyard. His destination was still quite far away. He glanced at his watch while he ran. Five minutes had already come and gone. He didn't have much time.

OoOoOoOoO

"I'm leaving the team, Teal'c." It was out of the blue. No warning. She just threw it right out there.

He sat for a moment before speaking. "Where will you go?"

"Area 51. They need someone to head up their department of research."

A longer silence. "I have noticed a change between yourself and O'Neill."

Sam's head jerked up in surprise. "You've known this was coming for a while, haven't you, Teal'c?"

He smiled. "Indeed."

She didn't know what to say.

"There is a comfort there that was not present before. You are both at peace."

She hadn't really thought about it, but she guessed he was right. The tension that had surrounded them for so long had disappeared. Right after her father died. Right after they'd had 'the talk.'

"It's not like we've acted on it yet or anything." She didn't know why she felt the need to tell him that.

"But you have decided to move forward." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes." She looked up at his kind features. Her friend. She felt a little guilty she'd waited so long to tell him. "You think it's the right decision?"

A wider smile. "Yes."

She found it contagious. She felt a smile of her own pull at her split lip. "I'm glad." She reached for his hand and took it in hers. "I'll miss you."

"As will I."

They both turned contentedly to watch the sunset in front of them. When it had finally buried itself behind the mountain range, Sam switched on the light at the top of her P-90.

She sat for a moment, shifting uncomfortably and tapping her feet on the ground. Then she turned back to Teal'c. "Twenty questions?" she asked.

Teal'c turned next to her. "Is it smaller than a bread box?" he asked.

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel approached Rak'nor inside the ruins near the temple.

"It appears you may be in need of some assistance," the Jaffa said with a smile.

"Nah." Daniel dismissed the scene below with a carefree wave. "We've got this."

Rak'nor smiled. Daniel had always thought that for a Jaffa, he had an almost normal sense of humor. "How may we help?"

"The SG teams are going to rush the enemy." Daniel pointed to three groups of Ba'al's Jaffa. "We need you to secure them from behind after we deploy our diversion."

Rak'nor nodded. "We can do that. What diversion?"

Daniel held up some ear plugs and handed them to the Jaffa to distribute. "One that'll make you want these." He looked at his watch. "We need to be in place pretty quickly. How many of you are there?"

"We are but eleven. I wish there were more, but…" he shook his head.

"We'll take it," Daniel said, "with gratitude."

Rak'nor looked out across the courtyard. "We will take up position there." He pointed to a set of ruins behind the Jaffa that allowed them access to two of the three groups they were to cover. "Some of us will stay here and move in on the group below."

"When you see the sign, you'll want to cover your eyes," Daniel said.

"What is the sign?"

"A rocket. It'll explode." He pointed to a group of approximately ten Jaffa on the far side of the courtyard. "Over there. It's far enough away from the temple it shouldn't do any damage."

Rak'nor nodded.

"After the explosion, there will be a second blast." He gestured to the middle of the courtyard. "It's called a stun grenade. It produces an extremely loud boom that throws off the equilibrium of those nearby."

Rak'nor held up the ear plugs he'd been given. The other Jaffa began putting them in their ears.

"There'll also be a bright flash. You won't want to look at it. Once you feel the blast, wait three seconds and then move in."

The Jaffa broke off to make their way to their positions. Rak'nor and Daniel stayed with a couple others in the ruins above the battle, ready to spring on the group of four Jaffa below. They moved as close as they could without risking discovery. Daniel looked at his watch. Not long now. He checked to make sure his ear plugs were securely in place.

OoOoOoOoO

"It is time, Colonel Reynolds!" Bra'tac shouted over the din of the battle. His staff weapon spat again and again. A blast flew at him, forcing him to once again take cover.

Reynolds nodded, though he knew Bra'tac wouldn't see it. He released his P-90 to hang from its strap on his chest and grabbed the rocket launcher from the ground beside his knee. He hefted it to his shoulder. Bra'tac was right. It was time to put this baby to bed.

OoOoOoOoO

Rak'nor turned impatiently to Daniel. "How long do we wait?"

As if on cue, a small rocket shot with a whoosh from Colonel Reynolds's position. It whistled across the large space and landed in the middle of the group Jaffa. A huge fireball exploded. The power and heat of it reached all the way to Daniel's hiding place.

"Now!" Daniel ducked and closed his eyes tight. The Jaffa near him did the same.

A second explosion shook the ground. Daniel knew it was accompanied by a flash of light that would blind the Jaffa who were by now trying to see what happened near the first explosion.

As soon as he felt its rumble, he started counting. One. One thousand. Two. One thousand. Three. One thousand.

He jumped up and began to make his way quickly down into the courtyard towards the group of Jaffa below. Rak'nor was at his side. The stun grenade had done its job but several Jaffa managed to fire at the charging SG teams. Daniel saw a member of SG-12 fly backwards off his feet as a staff blast caught him in the chest. Another raised his weapon and killed the Jaffa who'd made the shot.

Daniel's feet touched the ground at the bottom of the courtyard. His pulse raced from the dash down the steps. He ran toward his targeted Jaffa, the dust kicked up from the weapon's fire stinging his eyes.

These Jaffa were less dazed by the stun grenade than the ones who had been closer to the blast. They heard the enemy coming and turned, their weapons ready in hand.

Daniel squeezed off a shot from his P-90 before any of them could fire. One of the four fell, but the other three took aim. One of Rak'nor's men took a blast in the shoulder and fell to the ground. Rak'nor shot his attacker.

The sounds of battle assaulted him; shouts of anger and cries of pain… staff blasts and automatic weapons shooting in bursts of up to nine hundred rounds a minute. The smell of smoke and burnt ozone threatened to choke him. Still he ran.

Then he was there. Rak'nor and the other man with him attacked the enemy with a cry. The Jaffa knocked their staff weapons together. Daniel decided he didn't want to bother with hand to hand combat and raised his weapon. He fired off a few rounds at their feet.

Seeing they were outgunned and outnumbered, the Jaffa surrendered their weapons and dropped to their knees. Rak'nor nodded to Daniel.

OoOoOoOoO

Reynolds ran full force toward his target several hundred yards in front of him. He'd spotted at least five Jaffa hiding there before Griff had fired the stun grenade from its launcher. It was impossible to see their condition now through the smoky haze that charged the air after the two explosions. He knew Bra'tac ran with him, but kept his eyes forward. Weapon blasts continued to come at him from several directions, but there were considerably fewer than before. He dodged them and continued to push on.

His radio crackled to life as Griff reported his success detaining his targeted Jaffa.

Reynolds rounded the ruins to find only one of the Jaffa there in any condition to put up a fight. The rest sat dazed; some holding their heads. They'd been closest to the stun grenade when it went off.

"Put down your weapon," Bra'tac said to the one that was alert. "This fight is over."

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel squinted across the courtyard through the smoke and dust, where Ba'al's remaining forces continued to lay down their weapons and surrender. He glanced at his watch and shook his head. Only thirty minutes had passed since his sprint up the back of the amphitheater. It felt like it had been much longer.

Daniel smiled in amazement. Plan A had worked. "Who needs plan B?" he asked one of the defeated Jaffa. The man frowned at him and shook his head.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam's radio crackled to life. "Sam?" Daniel's voice was a little breathless and a lot worried. "Sam, you there?"

She grabbed up the radio. "Daniel. We're here."

"Thank God. Sam, you're both alright?" His relief was evident even through the radio's poor reception.

"We're fine." She shrugged her shoulders at Teal'c. More or less. "We're hiding out in a cave in the face of a cliff about two hours south east of where you left us."

There was a silent pause. "Bra'tac knows where you're talking about. We'll be there as quickly as we can. We're about forty minutes out."

"We'll be waiting. Oh, and Daniel… there are two super soldiers waiting around out there. They can't reach us, but they'll be ready to cause you trouble when you get here."

"Thanks for the warning. We have the disruptors, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Good. See you when you get here." Sam turned off the radio and put it back down on the stone next to her.

"It is good we will be able to leave the cave soon," Teal'c said.

"You're telling me. My butt's numb."

"Mine as well."

"Think we ought to check on our friends out there again. Maybe they left and we can climb out and stretch our legs."

Teal'c nodded and crawled to mouth of the cave. He looked down at the ground below. Sam saw him brave sticking his head out farther. "I do not see the one on the ground." He turned and looked up. "Nor the one above."

"It's dark. Maybe you just can't see them. Or it's possible they've just moved back a little farther; out of sight."

"It is." Teal'c scooted back next to Sam and settled in. "We should remain here until we know for sure."

Sam nodded. She lay her head back against the rock wall behind her and closed her eyes. Just sitting here was beginning to grate on her nerves. She wasn't about to step right back into danger, but she'd almost rather be out in the middle of some action than pent up here in this cave.

She got her wish. Sam heard the falling pebbles and snapped her eyes open.

Teal'c moved before she was even able to see what was happening. A black-clad arm reached around into the cave, its weapon aiming for the Jaffa. Teal'c ducked the blast just in time and it bounced off the rock behind him to ricochet back towards the drone.

Before it could get off another shot Teal'c reached for the arm and shoved.

Sam saw the arm swing back and guessed the drone had lost its balance. A second later the arm reached back inside. The drone hadn't fallen. Teal'c grabbed it again, trying to force the soldier off the ledge.

The second drone jumped down into the mouth of the cave. It pushed past Teal'c and went straight for Sam.

She sucked in her breath at the sight of it. It had removed most of its armor so it could make the climb. Its luminescent skin stretched taut emphasized its monstrous features. It was like watching a demon from Fright Night in full 3-D Technicolor.

And it was coming right at her.

There wasn't time to grab her weapon. All she could do was throw out her hands to defend herself.

Removing their armor was smart. She hadn't thought them capable of thinking things through that completely. But it also provided her an opportunity she wouldn't normally have. Without the armor, drones weren't invulnerable. Super Goa'uld strong, yes… but not invulnerable.

The monster grabbed at her hands and pulled them down to her sides.

She heard Teal'c grappling with the other at the mouth of their cave.

She drew up her knees and pressed them sharply into the drone's chest. They encountered the hard surface of a piece of armor left in place. She'd have to aim lower.

She dropped one leg again and drew it up quickly between the drone's legs. She got no reaction for her trouble. It was worth a try.

The monster released one of her hands and laid into her cheek with its elbow. Sam saw stars and went limp for just a second. It was long enough for it to get a good grip around her neck with both of its hands. She felt it squeeze and she couldn't breathe.

She knew it wouldn't kill her, but unconscious was worse than dead. Unconscious meant Teal'c would be alone against the two of them and she would most likely be sent back to Ba'al's interrogation room.

Sam reached up her hands and clawed at its eyes. Her thumbs jabbed roughly into the soft and exposed sockets. The drone growled at her in reaction, but its grip simply tightened.

Did these guys feel nothing?

She tried again, but its grip on her neck was just too strong. Black spots swam before her eyes and her lungs screamed for oxygen. She kicked her legs, trying to get the beast off of her, but its weight continued to press down. She gave up on its eyes and struggled to reach the weapon that sat on the ground beside her hip.

Teal'c must have finally got his hands on his gun. Sam heard the loud blast of the automatic weapon echo through the cave.

She imagined the drone he'd been fighting reeling back under the assault. She heard some of the bullets ping off its armor, but others were more muffled as they embedded themselves in the drone's thick skin. It fell and slammed onto the floor of their shelter. Its remaining armor connected loudly with the solid stone.

There was a scraping sound as Teal'c shoved its husk out of the cave and into the open air where Sam knew it would fall to the valley below.

All of it happened in seconds while Sam patted the ground beside her frantically in search of her P-90.. Her other hand continued to push at the heavy drone.

Sam heard Teal'c rush to help her. She knew he wouldn't risk firing at the drone on top of her for fear of hitting her.

Her sore fingers reached desperately for her gun, but she couldn't find it. Sam was going to pass out. Her ears began to ring and her skin tingled at her scalp.

Teal'c grabbed the super soldier by the waist and pulled with his full force. It didn't budge. Instead, it kicked out with its foot, connecting with his thigh. Teal'c grunted, but continued to pull.

Sam felt her strength leave her. Her heart pounded in her ears. Her lungs seized. Her body went limp and her arms fell to the floor.

The last thing Sam saw was Teal'c's angry eyes as they met hers over the drone's shoulder. Darkness took her vision.

Then it was replaced by a blinding bright light.

ooooooooooooooooo

Since I'm done with the battle, I expect the next few chapters to come quite a bit more quickly. I know better than to tell you an exact day now, since this time it turned me into a liar.

Next chapter is started and will be up soon. Thanks for your amazing and wonderful patience... and for sticking with my story. I'm really excited that people are enjoying it, and I love reading about it in your reviews. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **Since I made you wait so long for the last chapter, I decided I'd better get this one right out. Hope you enjoy it...

**Disclaimer: **If these characters were mine I'd be rich.

**Warning! **Fan fiction may be habit forming. Use only as directed.

oooooooooooooooooo

_Her sore fingers reached desperately for her gun, but she couldn't find it. Sam was going to pass out. Her ears began to ring and her skin tingled at her scalp._

_Teal'c grabbed the super soldier by the waist and pulled with his full force. It didn't budge. Instead, it kicked out with its foot, connecting with his thigh. Teal'c grunted, but continued to pull._

_Sam felt her strength leave her. Her heart pounded in her ears. Her lungs seized. Her body went limp and her arms fell to the floor._

_The last thing Sam saw was Teal'c's angry eyes as they met hers over the drone's shoulder. Darkness took her vision._

_Then it was replaced by a blinding bright light._

ooooooooooooooooooo

The Ninth Chevron

Chapter Seventeen

The white light deposited three people onto the bridge of the _Daniel Jackson_. Jack took in the scene immediately. All three were locked together. His eyes shot to the figure on the bottom of the pile and the strong fingers that dug roughly into her fragile neck. Her arms lay limp on the floor. Teal'c pulled with the force of his entire bodyweight, but the drone would not budge.

Jack yanked out his sidearm and lunged towards the drone. He pressed the muzzle to the side of its grotesque head and pulled the trigger.

The monster's weight shifted with the impact of the bullet and Teal'c fell to the side with it as its body ceased providing resistance to his pull. They both hit the floor hard, the super soldier lying partially on Teal'c and partially on Carter.

Jack shot another bullet into its skull for good measure. Convinced it was dead, he turned back to Sam's prone body on the floor. He knelt down beside her, holstered his weapon ,and reached out his hand to her already blackening neck. Her pulse throbbed beneath his fingers and he let out the breath he'd been holding.

Her lips were blue, but already she shifted her head to the side and scrunched up her eyes. She dragged in a loud breath. It wheezed in her chest and she coughed.

Jack moved his hand to her shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. "Take it slow."

Her eyes opened and met his. He watched them dilate as she forced him into focus. "Sir?" The word sounded like it grated on her throat and ended with another cough.

"I knew you'd miss me, so I hopped a ride. Did I interrupt anything important?"

She shook her head and her eyes moved around the bridge, taking in the new surroundings and searching. "Teal'c?"

"I am here, Colonel Carter." Teal'c pushed the soldier off them both and stood. Jack noticed the blood on his shoulder for the first time.

"You ok, T?"

Teal'c nodded and turned his attention back to Sam on the floor. "Are you uninjured?"

She held up a thumb. "Yup. Right as rain."

Teal'c cocked his head to the side. "How can rain be correct? I do not understand."

"Geez, Teal'c," Jack laughed. "You've been on Earth what, ten years? And you've never heard that expression?"

"I have not."

"You really have to get out more." Jack looked back down at Sam. Her hands reached up and touched her bruised neck gingerly. She winced and drew in another shaky breath. He noticed that her fingernails were torn and bleeding.

"I want Kull disruptors standard issue from now on." She mumbled and closed her eyes.

He chuckled. "You got it."

Sam took a few more deep breaths, then opened her eyes and smiled. "Nice to see you, sir."

"Looks like I almost missed all the fun."

She rolled her head to the side to take in the drone lying dead beside her. "I'd say you saw just the right amount."

He threw his hand out in dismissal. "Oh, that? That was nothing." He took another look at it himself. "So, how'd you manage to get it naked?"

"It is not naked, O'Neill."

Jack ignored Teal'c and held his hand out to Carter. "Ready to get up?"

She nodded and accepted his hand. He pulled her up and made sure she was steady on her feet before letting go.

"Nice to see you are well, Colonel Carter. Teal'c."

They turned to the little gray man sitting at the helm. Carter smiled. "Good to see you too, Thor."

"Yeah, well; Thor here showed up right after you guys stepped through the Gate. He saw Ba'al's ships over Dakara and figured you'd need a little help."

"Ships?" Carter stepped up to the console and Thor turned on the view screen so she could see the situation. Five Ha'tak vessels hovered over the planet. "How many of those belong to Ba'al?" she asked.

"Two," Thor answered.

"And they've just been sitting there like that?"

Jack nodded. "We're pretty sure Ba'al didn't want to pick any fights with the Jaffa on Dakara."

"But he didn't mind picking a fight with us." Carter's face was cast in the shadow of the blue lights from the panel.

"Nope." Jack frowned. "How big a fight did he pick?"

"We've been running from three super soldiers for almost seven hours now, sir."

"Seven hours." Jack glanced back at the drone and shook his head. "You've gotta break out of that habit, Carter. Just say no."

"It's not like I can go out a buy a pack of gum, sir."

"We believe Ba'al allowed his Jaffa to be captured in order to lure Colonel Carter here," Teal'c said.

"We split up from Daniel and Bra'tac and all the drones followed us." Sam shook her head. "I can't think of any other explanation."

Jack digested that for a moment. "Well, you aren't the only reason Ba'al is here. Reports from the Ha'taks over there say there was a firefight at the gate a couple hours ago."

Sam's head shot up. "What happened?"

Jack shrugged. "Don't know. Thor locked on to your signal and beamed you up. We saw three signatures, but they were all on top of each other. We couldn't tell who was who or how many had transceivers, so we just beamed you all up together. I figured Daniel was the third signature."

Sam shook her head. "He radioed me," she looked at her watch, "about thirty minutes ago. He was coming up on our position."

"There are eleven life signs in the vicinity of the Colonel's last position," Thor said. "Nine have transceivers."

"That must be them." Sam turned to Thor. "Can you pick them up?"

"I can." Thor moved a white object around on the panel and the bridge flashed with the light of the transporter.

SGs three and five along with Daniel, Bra'tac, and Ka'ral appeared. They immediately raised their weapons defensively. It didn't take long for them to assess the situation and lower them again.

"Hey guys." Jack waved and approached Daniel, Reynolds, and Bra'tac, who stood together.

"Jack." Daniel didn't seem surprised to see him.

"How ya been?"

"Not bad, you?"

"Not bad. Took a little road trip. Picked up a chick." Jack motioned to Carter.

"Sir."

Jack ignored her dirty look. "Enjoy your run?"

"Oh, yeah. Really like the burn in the thighs."

"I prefer the rowing machine myself."

"Yeah? I don't like it. Too hard on the shoulders."

"Sir," Reynolds said.

Jack turned to the Colonel.

"SGs twelve and fifteen are still at the Gate. There was a skirmish…"

"So I've heard," Jack interrupted. "Give me the details."

"Dr. Jackson radioed through the Stargate to the SGC with a report that Colonel Carter and Teal'c were being pursued by Kull warriors. He requested backup and Kull disruptors."

"That much I figured."

Reynolds nodded. "General Landry sent my team and SG-5. Almost immediately after we stepped through the gate we were ambushed by a large number of Jaffa."

"They came out of the temple, Jack."

Jack raised his eyebrows at Daniel. "Not just here for Carter."

Daniel shook his head. "I don't think so, no."

"We need to check out the temple," Carter said.

"I agree," Jack said, "but we need to make sure Ba'al doesn't have any more goons waiting around down there."

"What do you want to do, Jack? Call him up and ask him if he'd like to go home?"

"Well, Daniel… something very much like that, actually." Jack turned and walked back to Thor. As he passed the rest of the members of the two SG teams he waved his hand to them in dismissal. "Stand down, boys. There's food in the mess." He wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole, but there was food.

He didn't wait to watch them leave. "Thor," he said, "can you call the Jaffa commander again?"

"Yes."

Carter looked at him questioningly.

Jack shook his head and turned his attention to the man whose face now filled the screen. "Hey, there…" what was his name again? "You." He shrugged. "Nice to see you again."

The Jaffa didn't look amused. "How may we be of service?"

"Ah, see?" Jack waved a finger in the air in front of him. "Ask not what you can do for us… but what we can do for you." Jack smiled proudly at his modified quote.

The Jaffa waited silently.

"We'd like your permission to get rid of your little Goa'uld problem here. I would have done it already, but the Asgard do not feel it would be right to stick our noses in your business without the go ahead from you."

The commander seemed to think for a moment, then spoke. "The Asgard are wise in such matters. If the request comes from an Asgard vessel, Ba'al will most likely leave the Jaffa on Dakara alone. I agree to your request." The screen went black instantly.

"You're welcome," Jack mumbled at the blank screen. "Thor…"

"I am hailing the lead Goa'uld vessel, O'Neill."

Jack nodded. "Red rover, red rover… " Jack stopped when Ba'al's annoyed face appeared on the screen. He cleared his throat. "Ba'al!" He greeted in feigned excitement.

Ba'al returned a forced smile. "General O'Neill, how nice to see you again."

"I'm sure it is."

"I assume there is a reason you are taking my valuable time." The Goa'uld crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Actually, there is." Jack smiled. "We'd like you to get your snaky ass out of here."

Ba'al's chuckle was sincere. "And why would I do that?"

"We have Carter on board. You can't get her. We won't let you back in with the weapon. There's no reason for you to stay." He pointed at the screen. "And if that isn't enough; if you're not gone in less time than it takes to say 'I don't want my neck chopped in half by a garden hoe'… this ship will open fire."

Ba'al's smile faltered. "You push too far, O'Neill."

"Oh, I haven't even begun to push." He looked at his watch. "You have exactly forty-five seconds to get your butt out of my sight before we blast you out of it."

Ba'al's eyes spat fire and the screen went black.

"The ships have just opened a hyperspace window," Thor reported. A few seconds passed and he spoke again. "They have gone."

Jack nodded his head and stepped away from the console.

"We need to get down there and check out the weapon, sir."

"We will," he said, "but not before you get checked out by the doc." Jack pointed to Teal'c. "You, too."

He spotted Daniel standing over the dead Kull, a disappointed look on his face.

"Daniel?"

The archeologist held up the Kull disruptor. "I was kinda looking forward to finally getting to use one of these."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll get your chance."

"What are our orders, General?" Reynolds asked.

"Well, we're all going back down to the gate so we can return to the SGC and report to Landry. Carter and Teal'c will see the doc, then SG-1 will come back to take a look at that weapon. A weapon, I might add," he said turning to Bra'tac, "that the Jaffa said they were going to destroy."

"We still intend to, O'Neill," Bra'tac said. "We simply wish to study it further first."

"Yeah, well, we need to get a look at it. See if we can figure out what it was Ba'al thought he was going to find here."

Bra'tac nodded. "That has always been our intent."

"Good."

"Sir," Carter called from where she stood next to Thor. "Thor's ready to transport us down to the surface. He's locked on to us and the rest of the teams."

"Transport away, then."

OoOoOoOoO

"I don't see anything here, sir." Carter closed the panel she'd been working in and stood up. "Either there was never anything to find or Ba'al got it already."

"I'm guessing he didn't get anything," Daniel said.

"Why's that?" Jack stood in the doorway to give the two more room. He recognized the architecture of the Ancients from pictures he'd seen of Atlantis. The room they stood in was obviously of a much older design, but it still seemed familiar.

"The Jaffa that were here were all captured. None of them were carrying anything."

"Is it possible some got away?"

"Anything's possible, but I don't think so."

"It just seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to for nothing." Jack shook his head.

"It wouldn't have been for nothing if he'd succeeded. He knew my dad was here right before he died. There was a good chance he hid something."

"Well, now we know he didn't." He stepped away from the door and into the wide lobby of the temple. Jaffa milled about now as if the firefight had never occurred.

SG-1 followed him outside. The sky was pitch black, but the Jaffa had lit bonfires around the courtyard to help them see for the cleanup. Jack looked up at the stars. They were much brighter here than on his roof.

He sensed Carter's presence beside him. Funny how he knew it was her without even looking.

"We're ready to go, sir."

He nodded and pulled a white stone from his pocket. "Ok, Thor," he said into it.

The team was transported back to the bridge of Thor's ship. Anise stood next to Thor with a welcoming smile. She had come back through the gate with SG-1, but Jack had decided she could wait on the ship while they inspected the weapon. The Jaffa were in agreement. They weren't too pleased to see a Tok'ra step through the gate with his team.

"Did you find anything?" she asked eagerly.

Daniel shook his head. "Dead end."

She hid her disappointment well.

"Before we were distracted by Ba'al's presence on Dakara we required Thor's knowledge to continue forward," Teal'c said.

Thor's eyes blinked and his head tilted. "I received your message and was on my way to you when I discovered Ba'al's vessels here."

Jack nodded. "Daniel seems to think you'll know something about the keepers of time or something like that… and some lady named Twiggy."

Daniel pursed his lips and Carter hid a giggle.

"Perhaps if you provided more information…"

Daniel and Anise clued Thor in about Jacob's mission and Ba'al's search.

"I have never heard of anyone having used a ninth chevron," Thor said.

Daniel nodded. "Ba'al seems to think it's possible, though."

"And you believe Jacob Carter's files reveal where this power source is."

"Jacob's files made reference to the Moirae who were three sisters…"

Jack's mind wandered as Daniel prattled on about weavers of fate and such. He'd heard it all before. Instead, he watched Sam standing next to Thor's seat. He could smell the sweet scent of the lozenge she sucked on. The doc had released her back to active duty, but her neck was still a harsh display of color. She'd refused Anise's offer to heal her with a dismissive hand and an assertion that she didn't need help for every little bump or scrape she got. Jack thought it was a little more than a small bump or scrape, but he had kept his mouth shut. Carter could take care of herself. It was one of the things he loved about her.

Carter caught him watching her and threw him a curious look.

Jack shook his head slightly to tell her it was nothing and then tried to cue back in to the conversation.

"… a name they were given by the Norse tribes of Europe. The Norns." Daniel said.

If Jack didn't know any better, he would have sworn Thor perked up a bit.

Daniel continued. "I think the Norns shared their secret with a fourth weaver. A goddess by the name of Frigga. I think this secret was the power source of Ancient design. Frigga hid it so the Norns could ascend. Jacob somehow stumbled on it hundreds of years later… and now Ba'al has discovered its existence."

"Any of this ring any bells?" Jack asked Thor.

"It does, O'Neill."

Jack seemed surprised. "It does?"

"Yes. I have never heard of this power source, but I know Frigg quite well." He shook his head. "Or I should say, I knew her."

"She doesn't come around much anymore?"

"She is dead."

"Oh."

"Earth mythology reports that Frigga was the wife of the god Odin…" Daniel's gaze landed on the gray figure before him, "father of Thor."

Thor nodded.

Jack's jaw dropped. "Daniel. Don't you think that was a little piece of information I maybe should have known a while back?"

Daniel shook his head. "You know it now."

"Do you know of any place Frigg may have kept information regarding where she hid the Norns' secret?" Carter asked.

Thor thought for a moment. "She spent most of her last days in her home on the planet Fensalir. If she had any information it would probably be there."

Daniel seemed to recognize the name. He nodded. "It is said Frigga lived in a great hall called Fensalir." He looked at Jack. "It's described as a marshy place."

"Ooo, fun," Jack said sarcastically. He turned to Thor. "Is there a gate on this planet?"

"No." Thor's hands moved across his panel. "But I will take you there."

Jack felt the slight pull as the _Daniel Jackson_ moved into hyper space.

oooooooooooooooo

I've always thought life would be a lot easier it I could just beam around. Where is that invention, anyway? Wasn't it supposed to exist by now?

Next chapter is about half finished... coming soon!


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **I sort of took quite a bit of time this weekend to do Halloween type stuff. I'm refreshed and ready to continue writing now. Hope you enjoy chapter eighteen.

**Disclaimer: **These characters are not mine. Wish they were, but it's the truth.

**Warning!** The elections are coming and ads are running rampant on the TV. I recommend TIVO and a quick draw fastforward button. Lacking that, I hear earplugs work wonders.

ooooooooooooooooo

_Daniel seemed to recognize the name. He nodded. "It is said Frigga lived in a great hall called Fensalir." He looked at Jack. "It's described as a marshy place."_

_"Ooo, fun," Jack said sarcastically. He turned to Thor. "Is there a gate on this planet?"_

_"No." Thor's hands moved across his panel. "But I will take you there."_

_Jack felt the slight pull as the __Daniel Jackson moved into hyper space._

oooooooooooooooo

Chapter Eighteen

"This is much better than the desert on Dakara," Daniel grumbled as he was swallowed up to the thighs in murky water.

"I don't know, Daniel," Sam chuckled, holding her P-90 up over the muck. The water hit her high on her hip. "At least there aren't any super soldiers chasing us."

"I just think Thor could have dropped us off closer to the compound."

"That's an interesting choice of words, Daniel," Jack said. "From the ship it looked more like a fortress." He felt his foot stick to the bottom and gave it a pull.

"Compound or fortress, it's still several klicks away and I don't see an end of this stuff in sight."

"I believe the conditions to be unfavorable as well, Daniel Jackson."

"You see that, Carter?" Jack said. "Put 'em in a little water and the big boys start whining."

"I do," Carter answered with a grin. "I think they're just asking to double-time it, don't you, sir?"

"You wouldn't." Daniel gave her a dirty look.

Carter laughed and continued to trudge forward. "At least we know we won't have to walk back out. Thor will be able to beam us back out once we turn off the device inside that's scrambling his transporter signal."

"I don't see why Frigg would want something like that. It's practically a billboard telling the Asgard to stay away."

"Yeah, because the Asgard are always so careful to ask politely before they beam someone from their home." Jack said.

Daniel grimaced. "There is that."

Despite the conditions, Jack had to admit he was having fun. He hadn't been off world on an official mission in a long time. He didn't count the few times he'd been to planets to negotiate treaties. The last one not withstanding, those usually bored him to tears. Nope, this trip was starting to feel like old times. Even with the presence of Anise, who did not seem to be bothered at all by the hike through the bog.

The marsh went on and on, the trees dark and lush. They reminded him of weeping willows draping their strands of heavy leaf laden branches over them like emerald fountains frozen in time. Moss grew on the surface of the water and up the trunks of the trees. Every once in a while Jack felt something alive brush against his leg.

The team pushed on and drifted into silence as the trek grew more taxing. The sun began to lower in the sky and it gradually became dark under the canopy. Shadows stretched longer and new sounds emerged. Some belonged to the strange looking birds perched in the trees overhead. Others sounded like jackals calling to each other. There was a chirping that reminded him of cicadas when they rub their legs together. Jack wondered which sounds were made by harmless creatures and which were made by dangerous ones.

Carter stopped in front of him. A short wall of stone sat before her covered in slime and moss. He looked left and then right. The wall stretched far into the distance in both directions. He couldn't see past it due to the overhanging canopy of green.

"Up and over, Colonel."

The wall reached just to Sam's chest. "I just climbed a wall," she grumbled, swinging her gun around to her back.

"That was a cliff." Jack pushed up to the wall and gave it a pat with a smile. "This'll be much, much easier."

She put her hands onto the wall and pushed up. The water poured off her body as she hefted herself onto the slick surface. Once she crouched above them she turned back. "Well, come on." She turned and pushed off the wall. He heard her splash down on the other side.

"You heard her, boys. Let's not keep the lady waiting." Jack readied himself and hauled his body up and over. The others followed.

Jack felt his stomach leap when his feet took longer to reach the surface of the water than he'd expected. When they did break the surface and then continued downward to impact the soft ground below he had to fight to stay upright. Daniel wasn't so successful. He heard the loud splash behind him and Carter's sudden laughter.

Jack turned to see Daniel come up out of the water, sputtering. He brushed his hair back off his face and then took his glasses off to shake the water from them.

"Feeling refreshed, Daniel?" Jack asked.

"Funny."

"It looks like that wall is holding back the vegetation." Carter still sounded like she was fighting the urge to laugh.

Jack looked back. The wall's surface was ridden with a layer of greenery, but the water around them was virtually clear. Well, not clear, but they wouldn't have to fight back any trees.

"Wow." Daniel stood facing the other direction, his eyes glazed over with excitement.

Jack turned and saw that they stood before what had obviously once been a majestic fortress. With the moon rising directly behind it and the sun not quite buried under the horizon, he could make it out clearly. Daniel had called it the "Great Hall of Fensalir" from the bridge of Thor's ship. Now its walls were water stained and covered with moss and climbing vines.

"That look a little familiar to you, Daniel?" Jack asked.

Daniel pushed his glasses up with wet fingers, leaving a couple small beads of moisture on each lens and nodded.

"Atlantis," Carter said.

"It's very similar." Daniel pointed to several sleek spires that lifted elegantly from the marsh. "Those are definitely reminiscent of Ancient architecture, but that…" He gestured to the large central structure that was more angular. "That is definitely Asgard."

"Is it not uncommon for such structures to exist together?" Teal'c drew up next to Daniel.

"I've never seen it before." Daniel looked excited. "This supports my theory. If the sisters were Ancients and they collaborated with Frigg, it would explain why both cultures are represented here."

"Yeah, well, it's getting dark and my skin is shriveled in places I don't want to talk about."

"This looks like the front of the structure, but I don't see an entrance." Carter waded up to the nearest wall and ran her fingers against it.

"There must be a way inside. We simply need to find it." Anise followed Sam to the wall and began pushing around.

Jack rolled his eyes. Nothing like stating the obvious.

Daniel and Teal'c spread out to different ends of the immediate area, staying close to the building. Jack opted to stay where he was. It was a central location and he could keep an eye on everyone. He held his weapon ready and watched them investigate.

Thirty minutes later he was still standing there. He could barely make out their figures through the growing darkness "Uh, kids; I don't mean to push, but…"

"I think I have something!" Daniel's cry was barely out of his mouth before a set of rings rushed out of the water around him. He was gone in an instant.

"Guess he was right," Carter said.

They all waded to the area Daniel had stood. Jack got there first, but he couldn't see anything that would have activated a set of rings. He shrugged. "I've got nothing."

Carter came up beside him, her eyes scanning the water around her. "It's too dark. I can't see anything." She switched on her light and kicked her feet around on the soft ground. The rest followed suit and after a few minutes, Teal'c hit pay dirt.

"There is a mechanism here."

"Can you tell how it works?" Carter asked.

"I believe so."

They all gathered together in the spot Daniel had stood. Carter nodded. "Go ahead then."

Teal'c kicked out. His foot connected with the mechanism and they were all taken away.

The rings re-materialized them inside a large vacant hall. Carter shined her light out. Daniel stood facing them. He waved. "Hi guys."

"What's the situation?" Carter asked immediately.

"It's empty as far as I can tell," Daniel reported. "At least in this room. I've stepped out into the halls on either end. They're vacant, too."

Carter nodded and lowered her weapon. Jack followed suit, as did Teal'c.

"Interesting," Anise said. She stepped out of the circle of the ring platform, her shoes echoing on the tiled floor. Her light was a bit better than theirs. It wasn't attached to a weapon, but its range was wide. "The blending of the Ancient and Asgard styles is not limited to the outside structure."

"I did notice that," Daniel told her. The room was vast, its walls dark. The team's light cast shadows across the smooth surfaces.

"I wonder why it's so empty. Thor said Frigg lived here until the day she died. You'd think there would be some sign she was here."

"I don't know, Carter. The Asgard aren't exactly known for their tendency to collect trinkets," Jack said.

"Yeah, Jack, but I don't see so much as a computer panel," Daniel said.

"Maybe the Asgard cleared it out," Carter said.

"Well, let's not judge yet. This is just one room."

Daniel nodded and pointed at the doors on either side. "Which way?"

"Both," Carter said. "If there's something to find here we'll have more luck if we can cover more ground."

Jack agreed. Judging by the dust coating the floor, he figured it was a pretty good guess there hadn't been anyone else here in a very long time. Splitting up was the most logical thing to do.

Daniel held up his gun. "I'll go left."

"Teal'c and Anise, go with him," Carter said. "The General and I will go right."

The General. He hated when she called him that.

Jack watched the three of them approach the doorway with caution. The door slid open and Daniel and Teal'c flanked the opening, guns drawn. Teal'c stepped through the doorway first, eyes searching for any sign of trouble.

"It is clear," he heard the Jaffa say. Daniel and Anise followed him into the hall. Teal'c nodded to Sam and Jack before the door slid shut again.

"Well, guess we go this way," Jack said. He walked up to the door on the other side of the room.

Carter popped another lozenge into her mouth before they flanked the door and left the room in much the same way the other group had.

The hallway they entered would have been bright had there been daylight to shine through the windows that made up the entirety of one wall. Instead, the thick deposits left sitting on them from untold years of rain and dirt blended with the lights from their P-90s to cast uncertain shadows around them. The golden hue of the 'glass' made it impossible to see outside. Jack reached up and waved his hand through a large cobweb that hung from the ceiling and attached to the window. The floor creaked under his feet.

"Looks like nobody bothered to clean grandma's house once she was gone," Jack said.

"I don't understand why anyone would want to live out in the middle of nowhere alone." Carter stepped over the dead body of a large rat-like animal. It appeared to have been partially eaten by something else.

"I get it."

Carter snuck a glance at Jack. "This isn't a getaway in the mountains of Minnesota, it's her home. Thor said she didn't leave for at least forty years." She shook her head. "I'd go insane."

"Nuts. Bonzo. Wacko," Jack mumbled under his breath. He smiled at his own private joke.

He saw the strange look Carter threw him. He shrugged. "She chose not to take a new body once the old one wore out. Maybe she didn't want anyone to see her go downhill."

"Maybe." Carter waved her hand in front of the sensor for the first door at the end of the hall. It slid open. Several small creatures escaped near their feet and ran down the hall. Jack led in, weapon ready. Sam followed at his nod.

"I take it back. Someone definitely cleaned." Jack looked around the empty room. There was nothing on the walls, no furniture, just a round elevated circle in the middle of the floor and a familiar looking obelisk sitting atop a waist-high pillar in the corner. He watched Carter take several cautious steps toward the circle. "That's looks an awful lot like…"

"I know." Carter nodded. Her light preceded her as she took another step toward it and put her boot up so it rested on the platform.

"Uh, Carter, I'm not too fond of you stepping up on that thing." Jack came closer and put a hand on her arm, trying to draw her back.

Carter turned and covered his hand with hers. "It's ok, sir. Nirrti's not here to run it and we know a lot more about this kind of technology since she used it on me on P3X-367. There are a lot of different things they can do. In Atlantis they can even act as interactive databases. It should turn on when I step up."

Jack looked from her face to the innocent looking stone platform, then back up to her face.

"Really," she said.

Jack sighed and let go of her arm. "Just make sure your DNA stays the way it is."

She stepped up on to the platform.

They waited.

Sam's brow furrowed and she cocked her head to the side. "Huh."

"That was… anticlimactic."

"Yes, sir." Sam stepped off the platform and up to the obelisk. She brushed dust away and then moved her fingers across the top a moment. She frowned. "There's no power."

"The doors work."

"They must run off an emergency generator." She looked up at him. "If there's anything to see here, there's a good bet it'll be in the computer mainframe. In order to look at it, I'm going to need power."

"It's always about power, isn't it?"

Carter smiled at him. "Yes, sir."

He joined her behind the panel. It seemed harmless enough, but the memories of what something like it had done to Carter were far too clear in his mind. Anything that could scramble a person and cause their genetic makeup to turn to mush warranted a bit of caution as far as he was concerned. "You sure you can't get it to work from here?"

"I'm sure."

"Well, let's go then."

"Where?"

"To turn on the lights."

"I don't even know where to begin. This place is so big…"

"Where do you keep your circuit box?"

"Sir?"

"Your circuit box. In your house. Where is it?"

"In the basement."

He grinned at her. "Exactly."

"Sir, just because that's where we would put it on Earth doesn't mean Asgard floor plans will do the same."

"I know that, but it's a starting place. This isn't some grand technological warehouse or even a ship. It's someone's home. Maybe she didn't want her power generator out in the living room when guests came over. It's worth a look."

Carter shrugged. "Guess it is," she said.

"Have a little faith in me, Carter."

Her eyes grew brighter and the lines around them softened with a smile that didn't quite reach her lips. "Always."

OoOoOoOoO

"So, Anise, don't you have better things to do than go traipsing around some marshy planet with us?" Daniel waved his hand in front of another door's sensor and it opened in front of him. A peek inside told him it was empty just like the rest had been.

"The Tok'ra have a vested interest in acquiring any device Selmac's notes lead to." Anise shook her head at the empty room. "We are wasting our time here."

"Those would be Jacob Carter's notes and I think you're assuming an awful lot regarding your right to claim whatever it is he found. He went to a lot of trouble to keep it from you." Daniel stepped inside and shone his light around just to be sure. When it did indeed prove to be empty, he stepped back out and they continued down the dilapidated hallway.

"And you, Daniel Jackson." Anise drew her eyes pointedly to Daniel and stood at her full height. "Surely you can see that the Tok'ra have more knowledge and experience when regarding matters of technology. It would only serve the greater good should we retain possession." She seemed to realize how self-serving that sounded. She cocked her head with purposeful humility. "We would, of course, grant the Tau'ri access to the discovery."

Daniel motioned to Teal'c that they were moving on and they all stepped back into the hall. He wasn't buying her act. "How generous and thoughtful," he said. His voice dripped with sarcasm. The Tok'ra wouldn't share. They rarely did. "The reality is we don't know what it is we're looking for. We need to agree that no one should make any claims until we actually have something to claim."

"I can make no such promises for the Tok'ra," Anise said. "We intend to use the power source to dial the address Ba'al possesses." She stepped over a fallen beam and started as several large insects clamored out from under it.

Teal'c's head swung in her direction. "How do you intend to get it from him?"

"We already have it. A spy on one of Ba'al's Ha'taks was able to retrieve it."

Daniel shook his head. "I don't think what you plan to do is such a good idea. You have no clue where that address leads and if Ba'al wants to go there, I'm guessing it's a place we don't want to be." He didn't know if he trusted the Tok'ra much more than he trusted Ba'al. Their shaky alliance had all but fallen apart over the last few years and now that Jacob was gone…

"Nevertheless, we will not know until we try."

"The Tok'ra spout on and on about how the Tau'ri jump too quickly to use new technologies that we don't understand. Selmac told me once it was because we are a reckless race." He raised his hands in frustration. "Now here you are intending to do the same thing. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe Jacob kept all this from us because it was something neither of our peoples could handle?"

"Again, we will not know until…"

He stepped in front of her, his face close to hers. "There are tales about the Moirae. They're not pleasant ones. Different cultures called them the bringers of Death. They had the power to wipe out entire civilizations on a whim. If those depictions are accurate, then going to that address could bring the wrath of the Fates down on us. Is that something your people would be willing to live with?"

She met his angry gaze. "And what do you intend to do with it when you find this power source?"

"Study it. Assess its potential. See if it has anything to say about the ninth chevron. Destroy it if needs be."

Anise stepped around him and continued to the next door. "The Tok'ra believe that is unacceptable. That is why they have sent me." She ran her hand in front of the sensor and the door whooshed open.

"I can't believe my government would allow you to be here if they knew…"

"There was full disclosure, Dr. Jackson." She stepped into the room and back out again when her light revealed it to be empty. "Your government recognized when I first arrived that there was virtually no hope of discovering the device's location without the files Jacob Carter left in the possession of the Tok'ra."

"And the Tok'ra were only willing to share those files if you came with them and stayed on to search with us." Daniel rolled his eyes at Teal'c.

Anise nodded.

Daniel shook his head and continued down the hall to the next door. This conversation was going nowhere. He figured the best thing to do would be to just drop it now and hash everything out later. If they ever found anything.

He tried the sensor. The door didn't budge. He tried again. Still nothing.

"Teal'c?"

He moved aside so the Jaffa could have better access to the door.

Teal'c let his P-90 hang from its strap. He placed his hands along the crack in the center where the two door panels met and tried to pull them apart. He grunted with success when they budged a bit. He pulled harder, his arm muscles bulging and his forehead creasing with the effort.

When the crack was wide enough Daniel shoved the nose of his gun inside the crack so Teal'c could let go and rest a minute. He peeked inside through the small opening. "There's something in there," he said. He couldn't make it out, but he could tell from the shadows on the wall it was something big.

"I can continue," Teal'c said. He moved back into place in front of the door and continued to pry the two halves of the door apart. When the gap was large enough, the three squeezed into the room and stopped. Daniel felt his eyes widen in surprise.

"Did not Thor say there was no Stargate on this world?" Teal'c asked.

"He did," Anise said.

"Looks like he was wrong." Daniel stared at the giant stone ring propped casually against the far wall.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chapter nineteen is finished with just a little tweaking needed. It should be up tomorrow. See... there I go making promises again.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **Once again, a chapter has taken what seems like forever to write. I had a huge dose of writer's block with this one and then I just couldn't seem to get it to a place where I liked it. I'm finally satisfied, so here you are.

**Disclaimer: **They are never mine. They are someone else's.

**Warning! **Symptoms may include headache and dizziness. If these symptoms do not go away after three days, please see your doctor.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_When the crack was wide enough Daniel shoved the nose of his gun inside the crack so Teal'c could let go and rest a minute. He peeked inside through the small opening. "There's something in there," he said. He couldn't make it out, but he could tell from the shadows on the wall it was something big._

_"I can continue," Teal'c said. He moved back into place in front of the door and continued to pry the two halves of the door apart. When the gap was large enough, the three squeezed into the room and stopped. Daniel felt his eyes widen in surprise._

_"Did not Thor say there was no Stargate on this world?" Teal'c asked._

_"He did," Anise said._

_"Looks like he was wrong." Daniel stared at the giant stone ring propped casually against the far wall._

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Nineteen**

Jack's shoulders brushed the walls of the stairwell as he and Carter made their way down into the basement level. The thick stone was shiny with moisture. It reflected the light from his P-90 and made the material of his sleeves grow damp. His feet echoed against the stone, mingling with the drips of moisture he heard falling from the ceiling.

"That's odd," he said when they were about half-way down.

"What's odd?"

"The walls," he said and patted one experimentally. "They look almost temporary; like stone versions of the accordion dividers that belong in a hotel convention room."

Carter nodded. "I think they're retractable."

"Why would the Asgard do that?"

"Flood control. They let water in when it gets too high outside. It keeps the building from eventually washing away."

"The water looked pretty high to me already," he said.

His light's beam reflected off the floor below. His knees practically sang to him in relief and anticipation of finally being rid of the stairs for a while.

"I'd be willing to bet if there were Asgard living here now, these lower levels would be flooded."

Great. His mind flashed to the last time he'd been swimming with Carter. Drowning in ocean cold water on board Anubis's sunken Ha'tak was not a memory he was particularly fond of. "Let's just see about the power and get back above sea level, shall we?"

"Did I make you nervous, sir?" Carter asked with a sideways grin.

"In all kinds of ways, Carter…" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Sam shook her head and waited behind him while he shined his light down both sides of the hall. "Which way do you prefer?" he asked her.

"We could flip a coin, sir."

"Nah. When in doubt, hang left." He stepped into a hallway that wasn't nearly sleek as the one they'd left upstairs. The rocks were moldy and the ground seemed a little soft.

They made their way down the narrow passages. After a while Jack was completely turned around. Each turn looked the same as the last. He was about to suggest they turn back and retrace their steps when Carter tapped him on the shoulder and pointed into the stream of his light with the muzzle of her gun. "That wall look different to you, sir?"

It did. It seemed sturdier. Its bottom was securely fused to the floor, unlike the other walls they'd been staring at for who knows how long. Jack nodded. "It does."

"If the walls are meant to allow water in, the designers wouldn't have wanted the control room subjected to the elements. It would probably be water tight."

"Makes sense." Jack walked past her and tried the door. It opened and he found himself staring at equipment that looked like it belonged on Thor's ship. "Nice," he said and moved into the room.

"I should be able to get power back up from here." Carter stood behind the largest of the panels and began pushing the white stones around. The room was flooded in light.

"We have power," Jack said. "See if you can shut off whatever it is that's disrupting Thor's transporters."

Carter nodded and continued to work. Her brow wrinkled. "It looks like I have access to the main computer from here, but I can't see a way to shut off the disruptor."

"That's good…" He shrugged. "… and not."

"I'm checking for personal logs. If Frigg kept any they may contain information on the device."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Nope."

Jack looked around the room again. There were a lot of devices. Some stood in the middle of the floor and others lined the walls. He could tell they were Asgard design, but that was about it. He walked up to one of them and touched a button. The machine hummed to life, the panel lighting up.

"Don't touch anything, sir," Carter scolded without looking up.

Jack jerked his hands away from the panel and backed up. "Fine." He reached for his radio. At least there was one thing he could do without getting in trouble. "Daniel," he said. "Report."

"Hey, Jack." Daniel's voice answered through the radio.

"We got the lights on."

"We noticed that."

"Carter's found a computer and is playing with it now. You guys have anything on your end?"

"Oh, you might say that." Daniel's voice betrayed his excitement.

"Whatcha' got?"

"There is a Stargate here, O'Neill," Teal'c's voice answered.

Jack looked at the radio like it had just grown legs. He didn't know why he let himself be surprised by these kinds of things anymore. "I thought Thor said there wasn't one."

"Yeah. I think it was put here recently. There are footprints in the dust around the gate and the DHD."

"How's that possible? There's a disruptor blocking Thor's transporter." Jack turned to Carter.

She shrugged. "It's possible it wasn't Asgard beaming technology, but some other culture's - the Tolan or the Nox. We never got to see how the transporters on Martin Lloyd's ship worked. It's possible that the disruptor doesn't block other technologies."

Jack turned back to the radio. "Carter says it's possible."

"Of course it's possible, Jack. I'm standing here staring at a gate." Daniel's voice held more than a tinge of sarcasm.

"Think our gift horse is still around?"

"No. I haven't seen any other evidence of activity. My guess is the gate was transported in. There's no evidence of it having been dragged or moved physically in place and it's not exactly rigged permanently."

"Meaning?"

"It's just propped up against a wall. From the scuffs on the floor, I'd say the DHD was dragged through the wormhole and set up after the fact. We were just about to try it to see if it works."

"You do that and call back. Let me know."

"We will, Jack."

Jack clipped the radio back to his vest and circled the room again. Carter looked like she'd forgotten he was even in the room. She got that way when she had a new doohickey to play with. He found a tall cylinder protruding from the ground behind a bank of Asgard computers. He assumed it was a chair and sat. He pulled his yo-yo from his front vest pocket and flipped it out toward the floor. It stayed low, spinning for a while before rolling back up into his palm. He flicked it out and back again.

Jack's radio came back to life.

"The gate works, Jack," Daniel reported from the other end.

"Great. I'm guessing you dialed Earth. Let the SGC know what's going on and let them know we'll check back in an hour."

"Will do." The radio went silent again.

Jack drew his attention back to Carter. "Finding anything?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not yet. There's a lot of information here to go through." She cocked her head and her brow furrowed. "This is interesting."

"What?"

"Well, sir, Frigg kept a personal log. It's a record of her legacy to be handed down to her sons. She speaks directly to Thor in several sections."

"A will?"

"Of sorts." Carter stopped talking and continued looking at the screen.

Jack watched for a while and then couldn't hold back his curiosity anymore. "And…?"

She started as if she'd forgotten he was there again. "Sorry." She looked up at him with eyes that told him he'd want to see what she was looking at.

Jack stood and pocketed his yo-yo. He moved behind Carter and leaned over the screen. His chest grazed her shoulder. He felt the contact shoot down into his gut. "What's the verdict?"

"There are sections missing, sir." Carter said.

"Missing?"

She nodded. "Three sections, to be exact. I can tell they were here at one time, but now they're just patches on the recording." She showed him the monitor next to the display screen. It housed several squiggly lines that told him absolutely nothing. She pointed at the lines as if they should mean something to him. "Here, here, and here."

"So, someone came in and erased sections of Frigg's message."

"Yes, sir. But they didn't just erase them. They recorded something over them."

"What?"

"I'm not sure." She fiddled with a stone. "I haven't listened to it yet. Let me see if I can get it to play."

Jack listened to the sounds. He recognized them right away. "It's Morse code."

Sam shook her head. "I don't understand. How does an Asgard message get recorded over with Morse code?"

Jack shrugged. "We don't know anyone else who communicates this way, do we?"

"No. Earth is the only planet we've encountered that uses it."

"Hmm." Jack tilted his ear toward the panel as it prattled off its message in a series of dots and dashes as if the action could help him hear it any better. "C-O-P-I-E-S-S-A-M-T-H-R-E-E…" He shook his head. "It's got your name in it."

"Copies Sam three." Sam's eyes were big. She had a theory she didn't want to vocalize until she was sure. She moved on to the second section. It was about seven minutes further into the recording than the first.

Jack rambled it off as quickly as she heard it. "Spire Sam o'clock." He rubbed a hand across his face. "This makes no sense."

"There's another one." Sam forwarded about fifteen minutes further and played the code. "S-A-M-U-N-D-E-R-S-A-M-F-O-O-T-T-A-L-L-E-S-T…"

"Sam under Sam foot tallest." He looked at her.

"Copies Sam Three. Spire Sam O'Clock. Sam Under Sam Foot Tallest." Carter shook her head.

"If we take your name out… copies three spire o'clock under foot tallest."

"I think it's telling us there are copies." Sam's eyes brightened. "He made copies."

"Who made copies?"

Sam ignored him, her mind racing. He could almost see the gears turning in her head. "Three o'clock. It's a direction."

"So these copies have been left at three o'clock in the spire. There are at least five or six spires out there that I counted."

"The tallest spire." Carter smiled. "He left the copies under foot in the tallest spire."

"What does under foot mean?"

"In the floor?" she shrugged. "We need to get up there."

"Dad?"

She nodded. "My father, sir. He's been here."

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel's radio crackled just as the gate winked out.

"Yeah, Jack?"

"Were you able to contact Landry?"

"Yes. He's expecting us again in an hour."

"Good. Carter and I are headed up one of the towers."

Daniel cast a questioning look at his companions. "Oh?"

"It looks like Jacob's been here. We think he left something for Carter up top."

Daniel decided he wasn't too surprised. "You think he's the one who brought the gate?"

"It's possible. We'll know more after we check out the tower. Stay put. We'll get to you soon."

"Ok, Jack." Daniel turned to Teal'c. "Very interesting."

Teal'c nodded.

"Well, I don't want to stand around for an hour. Let's take a look down the hall."

"I concur, Daniel Jackson."

"I find it hard to believe that Selmac would come all this way and tell no one." Anise followed them out of the room. It was a lot easier to maneuver now that the lights were on.

"Why? He found a whole planet and didn't tell you."

"True. Still, he would not have had much time to do so. He was a council member and often in the field."

"It would have been a simple matter to divert here without being noticed during a mission," Teal'c said. He pushed a large portion of crumbled wall away so they could pass.

"Now that's interesting." Daniel stopped and looked at the newly revealed section of the hall. The windows were draped with flowing white curtains and the walls were painted a rich purple, not the sallow gray like the rest.

"Perhaps we have reached Frigg's domicile," Teal'c said.

"It would certainly appear someone lived here at one time." Daniel watched Anise open the first door. Just like the hallway would suggest, this room was different from the others. He stepped inside and took in the large bed in the center as well as the curtains hanging over the shattered windows. Dried mud covered the floor and tables directly under them. The tables still held several objects. A brush. A mirror. A communication orb. All perfectly preserved.

"I believe I like this." Teal'c stood staring at a piece of artwork hanging on the opposite wall. Daniel glanced at it. It was very abstract in hues of brown and orange. Something seemed a little off. He stepped up to it and took a closer look. His face broke into a smile.

"That's rust, Teal'c." Daniel laughed and rubbed his fingers down the center. The brown cracked away to reveal greens and blues. "And mud."

Teal'c frowned.

Anise roamed the room behind them. Daniel turned and saw her stop at a section of the wall that housed a panel of some sort. She raised her hand and it sprung open like a dresser drawer.

"What is it?" Daniel approached her.

Anise withdrew a thin computer pad and stylus. "I am not sure." It came on in her hands, words scrolling by quickly. "I cannot read it." She handed it to Daniel.

He took it and looked through the text. "It's Ancient."

"As is this." Teal'c held up a garment that had been slung across a chair as if it were abandoned yesterday.

"It's like stepping through time," Daniel murmured. "The rest of the place is empty, yet this room feels like it is still lived in… with the exception of the dust and the broken windows."

"Perhaps this person intended to return," Anise said.

"It makes no sense. Thor said Frigg lived alone. This room belonged to an Ancient."

"Perhaps we should continue to other rooms. There may be more that are this well preserved."

Daniel tucked the computer pad into his pack and slung it back over his shoulders. Anise and Teal'c were already out the door. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew exactly what they'd find in the room next door.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack preferred the openness of the tower balcony to the dank basement. He looked down over the rail at the marsh way below. The lights on the outside of the structure that had turned on when they restored the power made it relatively easy to see the building and its immediate surroundings almost as clearly as if it were day.

Sam stomped around on the floor behind him, testing different areas for possible hollow sections. "I don't understand. The code said we'd find it under foot. I assumed it would be hidden under the tiles or something like that, but this is solid. There's no way anything is here."

"Maybe we interpreted it wrong."

She shook her head and frowned at the floor. A breeze blew her hair into her face then and covered her features. "I don't think so."

"Then what?" Jack leaned back against the railing and jerked back again when it bent under his weight.

Sam's head snapped up and Jack could see her eyes again. They were filled with excitement. She rushed next to Jack and leaned forward over the rail, careful not to put her weight on it. "I have an idea." She turned back to Jack.

Suddenly catching on, Jack turned and looked back down at the ground. It had to be something like thirty floors down.

"How thick do you suppose the ledge of the balcony is?"

"I have no idea. Maybe a few feet thick."

Sam started stripping off her backpack. "I'm going to need you to hold my feet for a minute, sir."

Jack tried to hide his anxiety at the idea of Carter hanging off the side of the building. "You're sure about this?"

"He said 'under foot,' sir. It's the only possible explanation."

"Or the recording was just some Asgard practical joke and you're going to hang off a balcony for nothing."

She shrugged. "Either way, we have to find out." She lay down on her belly and scooted out so her shoulders and head peeked off the edge of the balcony.

Jack took off his own pack and sat next to her. He leaned over and lay across her legs, his arms reaching around to secure her tightly in his grasp.

Once she was satisfied he had her, Sam scooted out farther over the edge until her entire torso hung upside down beside the balcony ledge.

Jack ignored the cold bite of the wind across his face and held her tighter. "See anything?" he called to her.

"Not yet." She scooted a little farther and he heard her sharp exclamation. "I take that back, sir. There's something under here."

"What is it?"

"I can't tell. Pull me back up for a minute."

Jack tugged on her legs and then her hips as he helped her back up onto solid ground, so to speak. She smiled at him and sat up. "There's a box sealed to the bottom, but it's too far under. I can't reach it."

Jack opened his bag and pulled out his rope. "Guess you're going under."

She nodded. "You betcha."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I didn't even leave you hanging this time! I left Sam hanging, but not you!! ;0)


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **This was a fun chapter to write. As I draw closer to the end of act 2, I get more and more excited about what I have planned for act 3 and the end of my first ever start to finish story. I hope you stick with me to the end... I want to keep you guessing. Let me know how I'm doing.

**Disclaimer: **I wrote this entire chapter with a cat on my keyboard and her butt in my face. Any mistakes can be blamed on her. Thanks sbz for catching many of them before they became a true embarrassment. Ha'tak, tel'tak... I really do know the difference. Really. ;0) I laughed pretty hard when I saw that little goof.

**Warning! **Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause. But this year he's broke and hiding in the basement until Spring.

ooooooooooooooooo

_Jack ignored the cold bite of the wind across his face and held her tighter. "See anything?" he called to her._

_"Not yet." She scooted a little farther and he heard her sharp exclamation. "I take that back, sir. There's something under here."_

_"What is it?"_

_"I can't tell. Pull me back up for a minute."_

_Jack tugged on her legs and then her hips as he helped her back up onto solid ground, so to speak. She smiled at him and sat up. "There's a box sealed to the bottom, but it's too far under. I can't reach it."_

_Jack opened his bag and pulled out his rope. "Guess you're going under."_

_She nodded. "You betcha."_

ooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Twenty**

"It's holding," Jack called down to Sam. She hung below from a rope that was tied off on the railing in front of him.

"That's reassuring," she said sarcastically. She continued lowering herself.

Jack pushed aside his nerves at watching her dangle what had to be thirty stories high from an unstable metal bar and a black nylon rope. He knew she could handle it. He'd seen her do far riskier things. Still, he wished it were him taking the risk. He couldn't argue with her logic, though. She was lighter than he was. The railing would be more likely to support her weight than his. "Do you see anything yet?"

She moved down another few inches. "No. I can't see the bottom." Her voice drifted up to him, the wind making it hard to hear. It had started raining again a few minutes before Sam had gone over the edge. If he didn't want to get back to Earth as quickly as possible, he would have suggested they wait until morning.

Jack tilted his face up to the rain and let it wash over him. The clouds covered up the stars, but he didn't mind. If he closed his eyes he could imagine he was sitting on his roof at home.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam slid the line down a little more and looked up. The rain hit her lightly in the face and ran down her chin. She could see Jack's knee where he sat cross-legged on the ledge above. She smiled. Sitting there doing nothing was probably driving him nuts.

She pulled her gaze from above and looked in front of her. She was just about where she needed to be. She let go of the rope with one hand, trusting it to hold her weight, and aimed her flashlight up under the balcony. She'd left her P-90 above in favor of the less bulky light.

The beam panned from one end to the other, her eyes scanning the smooth surface. She couldn't tell if it was metal or stone. Probably a combination of the two. Two large windows from the floor below sat under the shadow of the balcony. She couldn't see inside and the light reflected back to her when she tried to get a glimpse.

Her light fell on something far back where the balcony jutted out from the outside wall. It was small. Almost indistinguishable from the surface. If it weren't for the shadow it cast on the wall from her light, she would never have seen it. "There it is!" she called up.

"What is it?"

She shook her head, though she knew he couldn't see. "Don't know. It's all the way at the back." She looked around to see if there was anything she could use to pull herself under. There had to be a way. If it was what her dad had hidden, he'd been able to get there. She could too.

She looked back at the windows. Maybe she could go back inside and climb up through them. No. The windows were too tall. And it didn't look like there was anything to tie off a rope under the balcony near them.

All she needed was something to grab on to so she could pull herself under.

And there it was. Just about half-way to the object there was a pipe of some sort jutting down from the bottom. Water streamed from it, funneled away from the building.

"Sir! I'm going to have to swing. I need some more line."

"How much?"

"Not too much or it'll take me out of reach of the bottom. Maybe a foot."

"Got it." She heard his feet scrape the surface above as he stood and worked to give her more rope. She felt herself lowering and held on to the rope with both hands.

"I'm not completely confident in this beam," he called. "I'm tying off on myself, too. Maybe I can run interference when your weight adds more pressure to it."

"Great," she mumbled, "that way if I fall, I can take you with me."

The rope was jarred and moved up and down slightly while Jack secured the line. "Go ahead, Carter."

"Alright," she said loudly. "Here I go." She kicked her legs back and then forward again to start her swing. She heard the bar above her groan with the added pressure, but it didn't snap.

"In for a penny…" she muttered to herself before she put a little more force into her kicks. She stretched out her arm and reached for the pipe as she swung nearer. Her fingers grazed the metal and slid away.

Sam kicked back again and then pushed her weight in the other direction. This time her fingers caught the pipe and held. She pulled her weight upward using the short cylinder of metal as leverage.

"Not too hard. Just don't look down."

Sam fought the urge to disobey her own order and spied her target wedged deep in the upper corner ahead of her. It was still too far away. Her mind went to her grandmother and the little claw tool she used to use to get things from the top shelf in her cabinet. What she wouldn't give for one of those right about now. Instead, she spied the lip at the bottom of the pipe she held on to. She thought it might just be wide enough to tie off.

"I need a couple more feet!" She yelled as loudly as she could. She couldn't be sure if Jack could hear her over the increasingly aggressive downpour, but she knew there was no way to reach her radio at the moment. The sudden slack in the rope clued her in.

She was a little nervous about letting go of the pipe with one hand, but there was no way around it. She felt her full weight tug at the single arm as soon as she did. She grabbed the rope as quickly as she could and pulled it taut. She wrapped it around the pipe jutting out under her hand a few times and then secured it as well as she could with a one handed bow-line knot. When she was done, she wrapped the fingers of her free hand back around the pipe, sighing with relief as her weight was distributed evenly between the two again.

She closed her eyes. "Please let it hold," she whispered. And then, there wasn't anything to do but let go.

She felt herself fall as the rope lengthened out from the knot. It dug into where it tied around her waist when she came to a sudden stop. She looked up and saw with relief that the knot held her weight and didn't appear to be slipping at all.

The true test would be when she went for the parcel a few feet away.

The wind kicked up and she let go of the rope long enough to blow into her cupped hands. She pictured Jack up above standing on the sturdy balcony with his hands warming in his pockets. Her fingers were beginning to feel a bit numb. If she didn't hurry, she would have to go inside and come back out in the morning.

Now or never.

She kicked back gently at first to test the solidity of her line. She gave a little more push to her kick forward and even more on her next swing back. The pipe above groaned, but held. Soon, her swing brought her within reach of the parcel. She reached out and felt the tips of her fingers graze the small package. It was about the size of a slice of bread and wrapped completely in black. She couldn't tell what held it to the building. She hoped it wasn't something she'd need to use tools to release. If it was, she wouldn't be able to reach it on this try.

The next swing brought her fingers around the object. The natural momentum helped her pull, but the parcel didn't want to budge. Her fingers slipped away and she swung back again.

She pushed forward again and managed to get a grip on her prize. This time, she was able to wrap her fingers between the building and the edge of the box. She pulled herself forward and reached her other hand between the wall and the parcel. Her entire weight pulled at the object. She bent at the elbows, her pull-up putting even more pressure on whatever was holding the box to the wall and ceiling.

Without warning, the package came off the wall. Sam fought to keep hold of it as she swung backward. Then she was in a free fall. She looked up and saw that the rope had slipped from the pipe. The rope caught and she swung back like a heavy pendulum. The air rushed from her lungs and she prayed the railing above would hold.

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel surveyed the bedroom with a sense of awe. It was just as frozen in time as the one they just left. He shook his head. What was going on?

Teal'c held a small disc in his hand. It projected three dimensional images of people in slide show fashion. He guessed it to be the Ancient equivalent of a photo album. Anise sat in a chair in front of an Asgard computer. It didn't appear to be working.

"This is damaged," she said.

Daniel pointed to the ceiling. It had a large crack in it where mold grew inside. "Water damage."

She nodded and stood.

"I'm beginning to think Frigg had a few guests the Asgard weren't aware of."

"Oh?"

"I think the next room will also be a bedroom."

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c called from where he stood under the window.

"What, Teal'c?"

"Perhaps you should see this."

Daniel walked up to Teal'c and looked at the pictures that were still flashing from his palm. "They're just people."

"It will cycle back in a moment." Teal'c pushed a button on the discs and the pictures cycled more slowly. His eyes widened after several more snaps of the disc and he hit another button. The frame froze. Daniel smiled at the image. Three young women stood with arms around each other. Their hair was long and they wore the robes of the Ancients. Their faces stared back at Daniel without smiles. He didn't recall ever having seen an image where an Atlantean was smiling.

"Who are they?" Anise asked from beside him.

"They," Daniel said with certainty, "are the three sisters."

OoOoOoOoO

Jack felt the rope pull and his heart leaped. That much weight on the line could only mean one thing. Sam had fallen. His hands went to the rope and he eyed the quaking railing. "Sam!" he called. He forgot that he shouldn't call her that. Forgot everything but his fear. He waited for her answer, but heard nothing in the pouring rain. He couldn't move closer to the edge. He'd thrown his entire weight backward in order to hold the line and save the rail. The weight on the other end of the rope was assurance that it still held its cargo. A cargo that from the feel of it was swinging like she was on the bungee rocket ride at the amusement park. "Sam!" he called again. He felt the rope begin to stabilize.

"Sir!"

He let out a fast breath. "What happened?"

"I got it!" The rope began to steady.

"Got what?"

"Not sure. We can take a look when I get back up."

"Hurry up. It's freezing up here."

"Freezing down here, too, sir." He felt a different kind of pressure on the rope from her end as she began her climb. "I'll be up in a minute."

Jack shook his head and willed his heart to slow. Next time, he was definitely the one taking the plunge.

OoOoOoOoO

"These are the Three Sisters who gave their secret to Frigg?"

Daniel nodded at Anise. "The same." He held up the hologram. "They wanted to ascend, so they gave the power source to Frigg and asked her to hide it for them."

"Why would they then live here?" Teal'c asked.

"Well, it's not as if they could snap their fingers and ascend. It takes time. They needed to let go of their burdens and embrace the tranquility of selflessness."

Teal'c's eyebrows rose. "Enlightenment is a journey."

Daniel nodded. "Exactly. Frigg must have put them up while they studied their path."

"And when they ascended, she did not bother to have their belongings moved." Anise shook her head. "I do not understand this sentimentality."

Teal'c's eyes took in the room again. "Perhaps we may yet find some clue as to the location of the power source. If Frigg did not remove their belongings, she may have left other things as well."

"We have searched this room already."

"But there has to be a third." Daniel moved to the door with rising excitement, Anise and Teal'c close behind him. He waved his hand in front of the sensor and came face to face with a Kull warrior.

"Oh, crap."

OoOoOoOoO

Sam pulled on the rope, hoisting herself closer to the balcony above. The presence of the small package hidden away in her front pocket wouldn't give her mind any rest. She wanted to know what was inside, but it would have to wait until she was on solid ground again.

Her fingers were numb and her face felt like it was being bombarded by ice. This planet didn't appear to have a climate that would allow for rain so cold. She wouldn't have expected the plush undergrowth with temperatures so severe. The rain pelted the building beside her, its percussive and rhythmic beat drowning out her small grunts as she lifted herself inch by inch.

She almost didn't hear the buzz coming from inside her jacket pocket. She tied the rope off so she wouldn't lose her progress and unfastened the Velcro so she could pull out the small white stone Thor had given her before their departure. Pressing the center, she brought it up to her lips. "Thor?"

"I have detected a cloaked vessel on the ground not far from the building." Thor didn't waste any time.

"Do you know what it is?"

"I do not, but it is the size of a Tel'tak. I do not know how long it has been there."

Sam nodded. "So we may not be alone."

"That is correct, Colonel Carter. I have attempted to transport your team off the planet, but have been unable to do so."

"I wasn't able to disrupt the signal that is preventing the transporter from working." She thought for a second. "I'll see what's going on and get back to you. Be ready to transport us the minute we get far enough away from the building. If we do have company, we may be coming in under fire."

"Understood."

Carter put the stone back into her pocket and pressed a button on the radio attached to the top of her vest. "Daniel. Teal'c. Report."

The radio offered nothing but silence. "Guys, report."

She waited longer than she should have had to. Something was definitely wrong.

"General," she said into her radio, assuming he'd been monitoring the chatter. "Thor says we're not alone and judging from the silence on the radio, I'm guessing he's right."

"Better get back up here then," he answered her.

"I'm working on it."

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel stepped backward and allowed the Kull and its companions to enter the room. It was followed by three Jaffa, their staff weapons at the ready.

"Hey, guys."

"Put your weapons on the floor," one of the Jaffa ordered.

Daniel looked at Teal'c and then Anise. She stood tall, her arms casual at her sides. Teal'c already had his P-90 aimed at the Kull. If all four were Jaffa, he'd think it better to stand and fight, but without knowing if the Kull was really what it appeared to be, he didn't want to take the chance.

Teal'c must have come to the same conclusion. He held his left hand up in surrender and let the weapon hang while he reached around his neck for its chord.

Daniel did the same and they placed their guns on the floor. They looked up at Anise, who didn't move.

Anise shrugged. "I have no weapon."

The lead Jaffa was not satisfied to take her at her word. "Search her," he ordered.

The others stepped forward and Daniel watched as they frisked the Tok'ra.

"She is not armed," one of the men told the leader.

"There is no need to detain us," Teal'c said.

Daniel knew there was no hope of convincing them, but Teal'c always tried.

"Your master is not a god. He does not deserve your servitude."

"Silence, Shol'va!" the leader snapped. He stepped forward and swung his staff weapon into the back of Teal'c's knees. "On your knees." Teal'c landed hard. He stayed down, but straightened his back proudly.

Daniel lowered himself to the floor before they had a chance to hit him. He saw Anise do the same. "What now?"

"We will wait for our god to join us. He will bring the rest of your people."

"They will not be captured easily," Teal'c said.

"Then they will be killed."

OoOoOoOoO

Sam released the button on her radio and dropped it so it hung freely from her vest. Her sense of urgency sped up her pace. She reached a bit higher up on the rope and pulled. Hand over hand, she drew herself upward until the floor of the balcony was in sight.

"I'm almost there, sir." She didn't know if he could hear her.

She expected to see his hand reach down to help her up the rest of the way. Instead, her entire body, rope and all, was hoisted with a speed she knew couldn't be Jack.

Her head cleared the platform but her body kept moving upward as the Kull warrior that held the rope stood from its haunches. She dangled in front of him like a fish on a hook.

A Jaffa held a staff weapon on Jack. Beside him, Ba'al stood with a smile spread wide across his face.

"Colonel Carter!" he said. "My, how I've missed our time together."

oooooooooooooooooooo

I missed Ba'al. I'm so glad I get to write him again.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: **Since this is the most I've ever written in a story before, I am finding new challenges with each chapter. It is an interesting learning experience. My wish is to grow as a writer as I work to complete it. Never having ended a story, as I draw closer to the climax, I hope I am able to do it justice. I have already written the final chapter and I have to say it is one of my favorites... simply because it's written in a style that is most comfortable for me. Those of you who have read any of my other pieces posted here know what I'm talking about. Now, the trick is to get from here to there. Thanks again for coming along for the ride.

**Disclaimer: **They don't belong to me. Oh, how I wish they did.

**Warning! **The movie is never as good as the book. Here's hoping Twilight proves me wrong.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

_She expected to see his hand reach down to help her up the rest of the way. Instead, her entire body, rope and all, was hoisted with a speed she knew couldn't be Jack._

_Her head cleared the platform but her body kept moving upward as the Kull warrior that held the rope stood from its haunches. She dangled in front of him like a fish on a hook._

_A Jaffa held a staff weapon on Jack. Beside him, Ba'al stood with a smile spread wide across his face._

_"Colonel Carter!" he said. "My, how I've missed our time together."_

ooooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Twenty One**

Sam's feet met the hard surface of the balcony floor. She felt anything but relieved. The super soldier's hand dropped the rope and shot out to grab her upper arm. Its grip was firm. She gritted her teeth against the pain.

She met Jack's eyes. They held hers for a moment and he let her see his frustration. He knew this party was for her; knew what they'd do to her when they got her to Ba'al's ship. She saw his anger flare and his back straightened.

She looked back at Ba'al's satisfied smile. "How did you know to come here?" she asked.

"No hello?" The Goa'uld's voice dripped with smug satisfaction. He brought his face within inches of hers. "Manners." He shook his head.

"Go to hell," Jack said. Sam knew he was trying to draw Ba'al's attention from her. It didn't work.

"So, what did daddy leave for you here, I wonder." He drew his finger along the line of her jaw. "What secrets do you have now that you actually know what game is being played?"

His touch sickened her. Sam jerked her face away from his cold fingers. The rain stuck to her eyelashes. Its chill ran down her chin, but the trail of his touch along her skin was warm. "You're barking up the wrong tree, Ba'al," she said. "Any information my father had died with him."

He straightened and stepped up to his Jaffa. "Then why are you here?" He turned back to look at her.

"Ask my government. They plan my missions." She tried to put as much contempt in her voice as she could. There was no way she'd let him see the fear that was swelling in her chest. Her mind wouldn't let the replay of his torture stop flashing through her head.

The Goa'uld rubbed his hands together. "I think your father was here. I think he left you a little gift; a gift I want you to give to me now."

Sam's eyebrows shot up. "And why would you think that?" She glanced at Jack.

Ba'al paced back toward her and stopped inches away. "I know a lot more than you think. You are going to give me what you have found."

She raised her chin in defiance. "I don't know what you're talking about, Ba'al. I'm here on a survey mission." Her eyes spat fire.

Ba'al's smile faltered. His hand moved quicker than she could see. It whipped up and grabbed her chin, the long fingers squeezing the sides of her face and forcing her to look at him. She smelled his breath, felt its warmth. "I don't think so, Colonel. You will give me what I want or you will suffer."

Sam tried to wrench her face from his grasp, but couldn't. Instead, she drew back and spat in his face.

His reaction was instantaneous. His grip on her face tightened. She felt the impact of his slap from her jaw to her temple. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth.

She heard Jack's foot splash in a puddle as he stepped forward. She knew he had nowhere to go, though. He couldn't hope to help her.

She ran her tongue to the corner of her mouth where her lip had split. Her eyes went back to Ba'al.

"Hitting me will get you nowhere. I don't know anything and if I did, you know I wouldn't tell you."

"Oh," he said, "I'm pretty sure you won't willingly tell me, but I find that when you make friends with powerful people, you end up learning a few things about getting what you want." He held up a small round object Sam recognized right away.

Jonas's drawing flashed in her mind. It looked a lot more intimidating in person; and way too large and spiny to fit inside any person's skull.

"You're not going to use that here." She hoped not, anyway.

Ba'al chuckled. "No. We're going back to my ship and you can experience the pain of its insertion there." He turned to Jack. "Your friends can stay here."

Sam eyed him suspiciously. "You'd let them go?"

That earned her a real laugh. "So they can go up to that Asgard ship hovering in orbit and follow us? I don't believe so."

"What then?" Jack asked.

Sam caught his eye above Ba'al's shoulder. They narrowed and darted quickly to the side.

Sam jerked her eyes back to Ba'al.

"I believe they will find themselves joining the master of the house in the hereafter," Ba'al said.

"You don't want to do that," Sam said.

"Why not?"

"Because I'd kill you."

"I am sure you would try, but then, your people have attempted to destroy the Goa'uld for many years."

"Done a damn good job of it, too," Jack said.

Ba'al turned to him and left Sam's side, his slow saunter taking him in Jack's direction. "Perhaps. It just goes to show who the true god is." He looked at his Jaffa, who bowed to him.

"I'd hardly call hiding behind Anubis's petticoat god-like," Carter said. "Cowardly is more like it."

"I'd say downright chickenhearted," Jack said. Sam watched him take a small step in her direction. A quick glance at the Jaffa and the drone told her they hadn't noticed the slight movement.

Jack's eyes met hers again. She nodded slightly to let him know she understood. Her foot slid backward as she shifted her weight. She felt her heart begin to pound. Adrenalin flooded her system.

"If you think I will fold to your petty attempt at inciting my anger and kill you quickly, you are greatly mistaken." Ba'al's smirk glowed eerily in the artificial light produced by the device held by the Jaffa.

"I didn't want you to fold, Ba'al," Jack said as Ba'al neared the side of the super soldier. "I just wanted you to move."

Before Sam could truly brace herself, Jack rushed her like a running back on the final push to the end zone. In three steps he was on her. Ba'al's surprised shout reached her ears. She saw the super soldier raise its weapon. Jack's body blocked her vision. His arms wrapped around her waist. She felt his push backward. Then they were both airborne and falling to the ground way below.

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel eyed the Kull warrior standing guard at the door. He'd been watching it for the last ten minutes, trying not to let the Jaffa know what he was doing. He didn't know if it was just wishful thinking or keen observation, but something about the drone seemed off. Was it that it might be just a touch shorter than he thought it should be? Was it that he'd seen it shift its weight from one foot seven minutes ago and then back three minutes after that? It was probably because his brain was playing tricks on him in the hopes that they'd have the opportunity to rush it and get out of here.

He glanced over at Teal'c, who knelt beside him. He wondered if he'd noticed the same things. Anise, on the other side of Teal'c, as far as he knew, had no experience with super soldiers. She probably wouldn't know the difference between one of them and a storm trooper from Star Wars.

The Jaffa leader had revealed there were more Jaffa in the building and that they were hunting for Sam and Jack with plans to meet back here. If they succeeded, the numbers would be too great to attempt an escape. If they were going to do something, now was the time.

Teal'c met his questioning gaze.

Daniel flicked his eyes back to the soldier and raised his eyebrows.

Teal'c's eyes twitched almost imperceptibly. He glanced back at the Jaffa positioned in front of them. The man stared straight ahead, only periodically glancing down at them on the floor. Daniel almost smiled when Teal'c nodded slightly toward the Kull and then shook his head. The movement was so small Daniel would have missed it were he not watching for it. So Teal'c didn't think the drone was real, either.

Daniel watched Teal'c shift his attention to Anise beside him. She glanced and he gestured with his head to one of the two guards who stood behind them. She nodded and Daniel saw her shoulders tense.

Teal'c turned back to Daniel and motioned that he could handle the leader in front of them.

Daniel signaled he'd take the second Jaffa behind them. He looked toward the possible faux-warrior and then back to Teal'c.

He cocked his eyebrow and tilted his head.

Right. One thing at a time. The three guards in their proximity were the easiest targets. They would deal with them first and hope the rest of the cards fell in their favor.

Daniel readied himself and watched Teal'c for a signal.

It came almost instantly. Teal'c lunged forward at the leader's legs. His arms wrapped around them and he threw his entire weight into the metal-clad knees. The Jaffa fell to the floor.

Daniel heard Anise move then. He couldn't see her, but he heard the guard behind her grunt. He tucked himself into a backward somersault that rammed his body into the legs of the Jaffa behind him. He heard an angry shout as the man lost his balance. Daniel wasn't ready for the weight that fell on top of him. Still, he grabbed at the staff weapon the Jaffa carried. He got a handle on it, but the guard wouldn't let go.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Teal'c wrestling for the weapon in the leader's hands. He must have found purchase of the trigger. He was able to point the stick up at the super soldier who rushed to the Jaffa's aid. The staff spat fire at the drone's head three times in quick succession. The first blast was absorbed completely by the armor. The force of the second knocked the drone's head back. The third felled the soldier. It landed on the floor and didn't move.

Daniel pulled on the weapon in his own hands. The Jaffa who fought him for it was just too strong. Changing tactics, he lunged for the man's eyes instead. His fingers found access to the soft flesh and he dug in. The Jaffa shouted out and let go of the staff. He raised his hands up to grab Daniel's wrists. The pressure on the small bones was intense. Daniel tried to ignore the pain. He just needed to hold on long enough to allow Teal'c to overpower the leader and get his weapon.

He heard the snap of bones followed by the blast of a staff weapon. He hoped it was Teal'c doing the firing and not one of the Jaffa. In moments, the weapon discharged again and the Jaffa he fought fell on top of him.

Teal'c walked up to him and helped push the heavy man off to the floor.

"Thanks, Teal'c." Daniel stood slowly.

Teal'c nodded and moved to Anise, who lay panting on the floor.

Daniel knew she was not accustomed to combat. It was obvious she had not been winning her match with the Jaffa. Her face was bloodied and she cradled her wrist against her chest. He stood over her and held a hand out. "Time to go. We don't want to stick around in case there are more nearby."

She nodded against the floor and reached up her uninjured hand. It was warm in Daniel's. He pulled her up to her feet and she swayed a bit.

"You okay?" He saw that her jaw was swelling. It was possible she'd taken a knock to the head.

She nodded. "Anise will heal me. She is already working to do so."

"Good."

Teal'c retrieved their weapons from the corner and led them to the door. Daniel took a moment to check on the drone. It still lay unmoving on the floor. He pried off the helmet to reveal the sleeping Jaffa inside. It seemed the armor he wore had protected him enough that Teal'c's attack merely knocked him unconscious.

"We must kill him," Anise said. She stepped up beside Daniel and stared down at the Jaffa's prone body.

"We can't kill someone in their sleep," Daniel said.

"Why not?"

"Teal'c, tell her we're not savages."

"This Jaffa is no longer a danger to us," Teal'c said.

Anise pursed her lips. "He could wake up and warn others of our escape. He needs to be dealt with." She grabbed at Teal'c's P-90. "If you two can not do it, I will."

Teal'c drew the weapon out of her reach. "I believe we can tie the Jaffa's hands and feet to prevent him from warning others."

Daniel nodded.

Anise lowered her head and when she raised again, her voice changed. "It is this weakness that prevents the Tok'ra and Tau'ri from achieving true cohesion."

"If cohesion means we lose our humanity, then I can live with that," Daniel said. He stood so he could look for something he could use to restrain the Jaffa. "Teal'c, you may want to warn Sam and Jack that Ba'al's men are here."

Teal'c nodded and reached up to his radio. "Colonel Carter." He waited.

Daniel looked up with concern. He pressed the button on his own radio. "Sam. Jack."

There was still no answer.

"We must locate O'Neill and Colonel Carter."

"I think you're right, Teal'c." He moved to the door. "We can use the sheets from one of the beds in the sisters' rooms to tie him."

"We must hurry," Teal'c said.

"It is possible they have already been captured," Anise said.

"Then we'll just have to help them escape."

OoOoOoOoO

Jack felt himself falling and prayed the rail above would hold both himself and Sam. The rope caught around his waist where he was still tied. He snapped to a stop, head down. Sam's weight pulled her from his arms and she continued to plummet.

Sam didn't let out a sound as the planet's gravity took her. It was robbed of any satisfaction just a moment later. He felt the snap of the rope as it caught her several feet below.

He winced and looked down, a little dizzy from his inverted position. Sam's momentum threw her body into a swing, like a heavy pendulum, in the direction of the building. He heard the squeal of the metal bar above and his body dropped a few inches. The bar was not going to hold them.

Making a split second decision, he grabbed the knot at his waist and released it. The rope was still in full-swing when he felt it let him go. He tightened his grip as his freed body pivoted around. Now right side up, he continued to fall. His hands burned against the rope as he fought to hold on. He slid quickly down towards Sam.

They continued to swing sharply. He collided with her just in time to feel the rope give way from the balcony above. His arms surrounded her shoulders. Their inertia carried them towards the building. They crashed through the window under the balcony and landed hard on the floor. Jack felt the air rush out of him and heard Sam's grunt as he fell on top of her. Then they were still.

Relieved to be on solid ground, Jack let the muscles in his neck relax. His forehead fell to rest on Sam's. Their breath mingled as they panted, eyes closed.

"Sir," Sam finally said.

"Carter."

"I can't breathe." She gave a little cough.

"Sorry." He rolled off her and onto his back. He glanced at the shattered window, amazed at their luck. Sam sat up beside him.

"They'll be on their way here, sir."

He nodded. "Time to go. Always on the move." He pushed up off the floor.

"Something like that." Sam followed suit. She untied the rope from her waist. "This is going to feel great in the morning."

Jack smiled. He'd have a matching set of bruises around his waist when he woke up. "Proof we're alive, Carter."

"Yes, sir."

He put his hand on her shoulder. Her eyes moved up to meet his. For just a second they stood silently. His words downplayed the severity of what had just happened. They always did. That didn't mean he didn't realize how close they'd come to falling thirty stories to their deaths. He thought she understood because she gave a slight nod. He squeezed her shoulder and looked around.

The room they were in was big. Really big. And definitely the living quarters of an Asgard. There was no bed, but in the middle sat a small pod elevated off the floor by a thin pedestal. There were computer terminals all around as well as items he assumed were used for personal grooming. He couldn't begin to guess what half of them were used for. Right now it didn't matter.

"Please tell me you found something; that we didn't just do a Hail Mary dive off that balcony for nothing."

She nodded and patted the pocket of her vest. "Not sure what, but it's here."

"Good. Check the door."

Sam did as asked and nodded affirmation that the coast was clear. "If we meet up with Daniel at the gate, we can probably get out that way. I'm not sure about our chances in the marsh."

Jack agreed. There was too long a trek to get outside the transporter's disruption field. The gate was their best bet. "Sounds good."

Sam reached up to the radio at her shoulder. "Daniel. Teal'c."

"Thank God, Sam. We thought you were in trouble when we couldn't reach you." Daniel's voice was relieved.

"We were," Sam said. "We're in a little less now, but I wouldn't say we're out of the woods yet. How about you guys?"

"About the same. Got a plan?"

"We're headed to you. We can gate home and let Thor meet us back at Earth."

"I like that. Quick. Simple."

Sam chuckled. "We need to know where you are."

"Uhhh…" Jack heard something rustle as Daniel tried to assess their location. "We're in the west wing, fourth level."

"Stay put. We'll be there shortly."

"Be careful, Sam."

"You too." Sam turned back to Jack and they both stepped out into the hallway.

Jack hoped they could get out of the area before Ba'al made it down to their position. He didn't relish the idea of going head to head with another Kull warrior. He shook his head. Had he really said he missed the action of going on missions? Next time he felt the urge to say something like that, he'd have to remind Carter to shoot him.

OoOoOoOoO

Ba'al watched his First Prime carefully lean over the broken railing and then turn to face him. "I do not believe they fell to the ground, my Lord. It appears they have found a way to one of the levels below us."

Ba'al nodded and smiled. He would have been angry enough to kill the man had they not survived. He needed Samantha Carter to lead him to the power source. "I believe they will feel a new sense of urgency now that they have faced us again."

He tilted his face up to the sky and let the rain pour across his skin. "Give chase. Make it convincing."

His Jaffa bowed and led the others back into the building.

oooooooooooooooooo

I've just promised a friend to write at least one Buffy fic in the near future. So, guess who's going to have to crack out those box sets she hasn't watched in a while? Darn. ;0)


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **Just for those of you who keep begging and offering bribes (and sometimes threats)... here's the next chapter! I'm just about finished with chapter twenty-three, too. I won't make any promises, but you may see it posted tomorrow. :0)

**Disclaimer: **They're not mine. They never are. I am completely falling in love with the characters I'm writing right now that are mine, though. Fun, fun story in the works!

**Warning! **Look both ways before crossing the street! Oh, and there's some whump in here.

ooooooooooooooooooo

_Ba'al watched his First Prime carefully lean over the broken railing and then turn to face him. "I do not believe they fell to the ground, my Lord. It appears they have found a way to one of the levels below us."_

_Ba'al nodded and smiled. He would have been angry enough to kill the man had they not survived. He needed Samantha Carter to lead him to the power source. "I believe they will feel a new sense of urgency now that they have faced us again."_

_He tilted his face up to the sky and let the rain pour across his skin. "Give chase. Make it convincing."_

_His Jaffa bowed and led the others back into the building._

oooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

"I will continue to stay in orbit of the planet until Ba'al's vessel leaves," Thor said.

Carter nodded at the white stone she held in her hand. "That's good. After it does, head for Earth. We'll be waiting."

"Good luck, Colonel Carter."

"You, too." Jack watched Sam pocket the stone. She turned back to him. "All we have to do now is get to the Stargate."

"Not a small task with all the Jaffa out there." Jack peeked around the corner of the hall. He motioned for her to follow and strode forward. "Where exactly are we now?"

"Best guess is about the twenty-first level." She shrugged at his exasperated glance. "At least we're already in the west wing, sir."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes. At least there's that."

"None of the computers in the room we fell into worked, but that doesn't mean we won't still find a room with a working transporter or a set of rings."

"Trying to get my hopes up, Carter?"

Sam smiled and stepped around him to try the door to his right. "Maybe, sir," she admitted. "Is it working?" Seeing that the door led to an empty room, she continued down the hall behind him.

"Only a little." Jack didn't mind the walk so much as the wondering. He figured that if the super soldier on the balcony was real, that was still at least one that was roaming the building searching for them. It was only a matter of time before their luck ran out. He only hoped it didn't happen until they were much closer to the gate.

He held his fist up as they neared another intersection in the hallway. He brought his fingers to his eyes, and then pointed quickly to the wall opposite the one he slid his back against. He watched Carter nod and raise her weapon. She moved stealthily to the other wall and peeked around the corner. He did the same on his side.

Two Jaffa marched down the hallway toward them. They stopped at every door and looked inside the rooms.

Great. Just once he'd like things to be easy. Was that too much to ask?

He looked back up at Carter. He held up two fingers and pointed back at his side of the hall. She nodded and held up three fingers.

Five. Even better.

He motioned back in the direction they'd come. Sam peeked around the corner one more time and then stepped backward. They hustled away from the corner.

"Maybe we should go back to the first room, sir," Carter whispered. "I might be able to get the computers running."

Jack shook his head. "No. They had to be able to guess where we landed. We'd be sitting ducks there."

"We'll have to go back to that last fork and take the other option, then."

"And hope that way's not blocked, too." Jack was beginning to get a bad feeling about their chances of making it back to the gate without having to fight their way through.

Carter seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "If it is, sir, we'll just have to take the lesser of two evils."

"I'll take the heavy beating instead of the grand pummeling?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"That's one way to put it, sir."

Sure they were out of earshot, Jack stood to his full height and squared his shoulders. "Great." He smiled and waved his hand forward. "Lead on, then, Colonel."

OoOoOoOoO

"Where did Anise go?" Daniel asked. He stood in the third bedroom. He had been right about its existence. They had found it directly next door to the second bedroom.

"She chose to wait at the Stargate in case we meet with resistance. She will dial Earth as soon as we radio for her to do so."

Daniel nodded absentmindedly. His gaze caught something lying on the floor in the far corner. "Probably a good idea." He walked over to it. There were several other toppled items lying across it. A chair, a blanket, a cushion. This room was much more disheveled than the last two. One wall had crumbled over time to allow in the full power of the elements.

He didn't know why the structure had given in here when it hadn't elsewhere. He could tell this section must jut out from the rest of the building. The roof above his head was an actual roof, not simply the floor to another level above. The hole in the ceiling told him that. The rain pelted down on the top of his head as he bent to pick up the object. Teal'c knelt down to dig through a pile that had blown to the opposite corner.

The item wasn't that heavy. He recognized it right away. His fingers brushed away the mud from the screen of the data pad and tried to turn it on. Nothing. He shook it and water ran from the seams.

Pursing his lips, he took the pack off his back and shoved the data pad inside. Maybe they could dry it enough to access its information once they got back home.

He worked his arms back through the straps of the sack while he walked over to Teal'c. "Find anything?"

Teal'c held another holo-image displayer like the one they'd found in the previous room. It was cracked open. "There is nothing of value here, Daniel Jackson."

"I think you're right, Teal'c." He held a hand out to the Jaffa. The large man took it and allowed Daniel to help him up.

Daniel guessed their best bet at this point was to head back down the hall to the gate and wait for Jack and Sam to get there. With any luck, they wouldn't run into any more trouble.

Or have any more trouble run into them.

OoOoOoOoO

"Pay dirt!" Jack hooted. Carter followed him into the dark room and eyed the ring inset in the floor. The farther they went into the building, the more soldiers they ran into. He had begun to think they'd have to shoot their way down all twenty flights of stairs to get to Daniel and Teal'c.

"Don't celebrate yet, sir. We still don't know if they work."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't rain on my parade, Carter." He motioned to the panel on the wall. "See if they'll take us anywhere."

He watched her step up to the panel and push a couple buttons. It seemed a little more high tech than the average ring controls. There was a digital display at the top.

"It'll take us down, sir, but to the basement." She turned to look at him. "We'll have to climb six flights."

"Climb six or go down twenty."

"Actually it's seventeen…"

"Carter." Jack held up a finger.

She winced and turned back to the panel. "Yes, sir. Six flights up it is."

Jack moved to the center of the rings while Carter pushed the buttons that would activate them.

Sam rushed to join him. He took his hat off to readjust the bill before putting it back on. He looked down at her. "Cheer up, Carter. Maybe they won't be looking for us that far down in the building. Smooth sailing all the way to the gate."

She smiled. "Right."

"It could happen." He nudged her shoulder. "You've gotta think positive. Really. What more could possibly go wrong?"

The rings activated and whisked them away.

They rematerialized and Jack realized right away he had been right. They wouldn't meet up with any bad guys down in the basement. Not unless they really felt like a good swim.

Some time during the night, the walls had lifted to allow the water inside. The entire level was under water and he and Carter had just been deposited smack in the middle of it.

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel sighed and leaned back against the DHD. He eyed Teal'c standing watch in the doorway. Anise sat with her back against the wall next to the Stargate.

"It's been over twenty minutes. We should have heard something by now."

"Agreed," Teal'c said.

"If they are in hiding we do not wish to contact them through your radios," Anise said.

Daniel nodded. "True." He looked at his watch. "I'll give them another ten before I try to reach them." Something in his gut twisted with worry. He tried to push it aside. If anyone could make it out of a hot situation, it was those two.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack tried to keep his eyes open in the murky water. The light from his P-90 did little to illuminate the area. He could barely make out Carter's form in front of him. She swam to the ring panel on the wall and pushed a couple buttons. She shook her head in frustration and pushed them again.

Jack raised his eyebrows in question.

Sam gestured to the panel, and then made a cutting motion across her throat.

Damn. The panel wouldn't work. They couldn't go back up the way they came. His lungs were already feeling the burn. He hadn't prepared to hold his breath for any amount of time. His lungs hadn't been full when they ringed in. He didn't know how bad off Carter was. She didn't let on.

Sam turned a full circle, taking in their surroundings. With the walls up the basement was basically one big empty room. Weight-bearing pillars were spread across the floor here and there.

Sam's eyes widened. Jack thought she might be at the end of her air supply and his heart seized with helpless panic.

He was wrong. She gestured wildly toward something a few hundred feet away and began swimming.

Jack followed. As they drew closer, he recognized it. The large cylindrical block of stone from floor to ceiling had to be the control room they'd been in earlier. He remembered Sam say it would be water tight.

They were almost there when Jack's earlier fears came to fruition. The strength of Sam's strokes faltered, effectively slowing her progress toward safety.

Jack came up behind her and snaked his arm around her shoulder. He turned her to face him. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, her lips drawn together. Her hands were beginning to shake. He grabbed her vest and continued to swim toward the shelter as quickly as he could. His hand made contact with the wall in a matter of seconds. Following it around, he searched for the door. It was about a third of the way around. He looked at the door and its panel. He needed Carter's help.

Sam's hands continued to shake. The tremors travelled up her arms. Jack knew she'd lose consciousness soon. He turned her around to face him, his hands going to her shoulders. He gave her a shake.

Her eyes popped open and met his. He squeezed her shoulders reassuringly and motioned to the panel. Her eyes began to roll to the back of her head.

No. If she lost it, they'd both die. He shook her again.

She started and met his gaze again. He pointed to his own eyes with two fingers, then hers. She nodded, the tremors moving to her shoulders as she fought the urge to inhale.

Jack motioned to the panel. She followed his movement and nodded again. He pulled her to the panel. She reached out with shaking hands and pushed a few buttons in rapid succession.

She looked up at him and pointed to the door.

It looked like he'd have to push it open himself. He didn't know what Carter had done, but he hoped it had something to do with keeping the water out of the room once the door was open.

He motioned to the door and pointed to himself. He pointed to her and repeated his motion from earlier, telling her to keep her eyes on him. He silently begged her to hang on.

She gave a weak nod.

It would have to be good enough.

Jack let her go and prayed he'd have enough strength left to get the door open. Already he was starting to see little black dots swimming in front of his eyes. His lungs felt like they were going to explode.

He gripped the edge of the door with both hands and pulled. The heavy block ground loudly against its track in the floor. It echoed through the water with a muffled groan. He pulled again, precious air floating from his nose in quiet little bubbles. The door moved again. This time he saw a bright blue light escaping from inside the doorway. He guessed the glow was Carter's doing.

He looked up in time to see her body seize as it finally succumbed to the urge to breathe. Her eyes widened and he could picture her lungs filling with water. Damn.

His time was limited. He gave the door another pull. It moved enough this time that he though it was finally wide enough for him to slide through sideways.

He turned back and grabbed Carter's limp body at the same time his own began to betray him. Water filled his mouth. He fought to keep from inhaling it. He shoved her in the crack and rushed to follow after her.

Fresh air hit him full in the face as he fell through the blue light and landed on the floor. He drew in long gasping breaths and fought off the dizziness that threatened to swallow his vision. It took a moment for him to remember where he was and to notice Carter lay silent beside him.

"Shit." His voice croaked. He rolled over and saw that she lay face down. He flipped her to her back and took in her blue lips. "Shit." He bent over and listened at her mouth. She wasn't breathing. His fingers shook as he found the vein at her neck. No pulse. "Shit."

"Dammit, Sam." He tilted her head back and blew into her mouth. Her lips were cold under his. "Don't do this." He sat up, undid her vest and BDU jacket, and pushed them aside. He was able to feel for the correct position over her black t-shirt. He balled one of his fists and placed his other hand on top, straightened his arms and pushed down. "One, two, three, four, five." He heard a crack as one of her ribs gave.

"Shit."

He continued the compressions, his mind reeling. She had to wake up. She had no other choice. "Come on, Sam. You weren't out that long. Wake up."

He crouched again and breathed for her. He almost caught a mouthful of water as she coughed it up. She sucked in air loudly and winced. Her hands moved to her chest. Relief washed over him.

"That's it, Sam. Breathe." He rolled her into the recovery position and rubbed between her shoulder blades while she fought for full consciousness.

She groaned. "What did you do, Jack?" Her brow furrowed as she fought another cough. Her breathing was still loud and choppy. "My chest feels like there's a mack truck parked on it."

Jack closed his eyes and smiled. She was really going to be okay. "Your heart stopped. I had to do CPR."

She relaxed as her breathing grew easier. Her head lay limp against her arm that was stretched out on the floor. She closed her eyes. "Anise just healed me and here you go breaking my ribs already."

He brushed the wet hair from her forehead. Her lips were starting to go back to their natural pink. "If it makes you feel any better, I think I only felt one break."

She smiled. "That's a relief." She closed her eyes again. He imagined she was putting all her focus into breathing. Every once in a while she'd cough and he'd wince with her.

Deciding there was no rush, he sat beside her, his hand absentmindedly rubbing the small of her back while she rested. His eyes drifted to the door. The blue light extended the full length of the doorway even though the door was only open about twenty inches.

"Carter…"

"Yes, sir?"

"What's that? Is it why the room isn't flooded?" He pointed to the light.

She opened her eyes and shifted enough to peek at the door. "I turned on the force field from the panel outside before you opened the door. I figured there had to be a way to provide access without flooding the room. A force field made the most sense. We're lucky I was right."

"So how did it let us in?"

"My guess is it somehow knows the difference between solid and liquid matter."

Jack nodded. That definition, he understood. Definite evidence Carter was off her game.

"We need to get moving, sir." Carter started to push herself up off the floor. She drew one arm instinctively to shelter her chest.

"We can wait if you need another minute."

Sam shook her head. "The longer it takes us to get to Daniel and Teal'c, the more likely they'll run into trouble." She made it to a sitting position. "I'll be fine."

"We should at least tie down the rib." Jack removed his pack and vest.

Carter nodded. "Guess we probably should."

His BDU jacket joined the other things on the floor and he pulled his t-shirt over his head. The chilled air hit his skin and he felt like the hairs on his chest stood up at attention. He grabbed for the wet jacket again and pulled it back on. He started tearing the shirt into strips for a wrap when both radios crackled.

"Jack. Sam." Daniel's voice came through.

Jack reached for his radio that was still attached to the vest on the floor, thankful they'd brought along the submersibles. "Yeah, Daniel. We're here."

"We were beginning to get a little worried."

"Long story, Daniel. I probably shouldn't go into it now."

"That's fine, Jack. Where are you?"

"We're in the basement."

"How did you…?"

"Again," Jack interrupted, "not now."

Daniel seemed to get the point. "How long do you think it'll take you?"

"I'm not sure, Daniel. Carter's injured."

"Again?"

Sam winced at the word.

Jack rolled his eyes. "We kinda got into some trouble and I had to break her rib."

There was silence and then, "Aren't you supposed to be on our side, Jack?"

"Ha ha, Daniel. We'll get to you as soon as we can. We'll be leaving our position in about five minutes."

"Ok, Jack. We'll be waiting." The radio went silent.

Jack turned back to Sam. "It has been one of those weeks, hasn't it?"

Sam nodded and motioned to the strips of t-shirt in Jack's hand. "Let's get this over with so we can move."

oooooooooooooooooooo

Stay tuned... hope it wasn't too much Carter whump! She's just got all the bad luck these days. Sheesh.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: **I know this one took a while to get up. I wrote and deleted it at least three times. Had to get it just so, you know? I want to send a special thanks to samfan9 and lealea for their amazing emails. I truly appreciate the time you took to send such kind words to me. They make me want to keep writing. And as usual, thanks to sbz for her beta work. There's nothing in it for her, but she continues to push me and help me get better. And no worries... I'm not starting the Buffy fic until I finish this one. One thing at a time is all I can handle right now. :0) Also, with the holiday and company on their way this week, it may prove to be another slow one. Don't worry or think that I won't finish this. I am dedicated to drawing it to its oh, so action packed conclusion.

**Disclaimer: **The characters are not mine. The situations are. So is the cheesecake I bought today... and the red cream soda. You can't have them.

**Warning! **When crashing in an airplane over the Arizona desert, take comfort in the fact that your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device. (old joke, I know... but I still find it funny)

ooooooooooooooooooo

_There was silence and then, "Aren't you supposed to be on our side, Jack?"_

_"Ha ha, Daniel. We'll get to you as soon as we can. We'll be leaving our position in about five minutes."_

_"Ok, Jack. We'll be waiting." The radio went silent._

_Jack turned back to Sam. "It has been one of those weeks, hasn't it?"_

_Sam nodded and motioned to the strips of t-shirt in Jack's hand. "Let's get this over with so we can move."_

ooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Carter sat gingerly at one of the computers at the far wall of the control room. "Let's hope there's a transporter here. Otherwise, we'll have to find a way up through the water."

"I don't really care to go swimming again, Carter."

"Me, either, sir." She moved a stone from one place to another, then another, eyes forward on the display as it changed.

"So, if you do get a transporter working, couldn't we just all beam up to Thor's ship?"

She shook her head. "No, sir. The device that's scrambling Thor's transporters is still operational. It's meant to keep people from beaming things on and off the planet… almost like a dome bubble around the facility. Transporters within the dome will still work as long as we keep the jump inside the structure."

"At least we can beam directly to the gate and forego the halls completely."

Again, Carter shook her head.

He pursed his lips in frustration. "Come on, Carter. Help me out here."

"I don't know which room it's in, sir. Daniel said it was on the fourth level in the west wing, but there are a lot of rooms in that section. I'll bet Daniel couldn't even tell us which one it is." She moved another stone in place and smiled at the screen. "I can, however, transport us to the general area. Then it'll just be a matter of getting Daniel to help us find the way there."

"Does that mean you've got it working?"

"Yes, sir. We have a transporter… and I have a way to narrow down the possible location of the Stargate."

"So, no swim." Jack smiled.

"You can go right ahead, sir, if you'd like."

"I could, but it just wouldn't be as much fun as the last time."

"Yes, sir." She gave him a knowing grin.

Jack retrieved her BDU jacket and vest from the floor. He handed her one at a time.

She didn't ask for help so he didn't offer it. When she pulled the vest on, her brow furrowed. She patted the front pocket. She reached in and brought out the small package she'd retrieved from under the balcony. "Can you believe I almost forgot I had this?"

"I'd say you had a pretty good reason for being distracted, Carter."

The package was wrapped in black and was about the size of a CD jewel case, only a couple inches thicker.

Jack took it from her fingers and shook it next to his ear.

"Sir!"

"What?"

"Give it back." She held out her hand. He put the package back into her palm and frowned.

"I outrank you, you know."

"Of course you do, sir." She turned the object over several times. Jack recognized the focused look on her face. It was the one she wore when she found a new gizmo to work on or a new puzzle to solve.

The black seemed to be a kind of thick casing, almost like wrapping paper, but made out of a much denser substance. Jack could tell it was water tight by the droplets of moisture that still beaded on the surface.

"It looks like there's a seam here," Carter said. Her fingers dug at the package. The black peeled back away from whatever was inside. She continued to work at it until she was able to remove the object. Her brow furrowed as she pulled out a bright red square crystal. It was smooth on all sides except for one of the thinner edges. Jack figured it must be the bottom of the object. Several lengths of crystal jutted out from the surface on that end, each of different length and shape. Carter turned it in her hand and a thin slip of paper fell to the floor.

Jack picked it up. It was folded in quarters. Unfolding it didn't tell him much. It looked a lot like a page ripped out of a Bible, except the words were definitely not in English. There were a couple portions circled in red. He shrugged. "I don't get it."

She took the page from him and looked at it. "It's not in English, but I think I've seen this language before." She shook her head. "I don't know. Daniel will probably be able to tell us more."

"So, what's that?" Jack asked. He pointed to the crystal in her hand.

"I'm not sure about that either, sir. Crystals are used for a lot of things in both Ancient and Goa'uld technology. I've never seen one quite like this before."

"So we still don't know anything," Jack said.

"Well, we might know something, sir. We just don't know what we know… yet." She threw him an apologetic look.

"Right." Jack went back to where he'd left their packs and threw them both over his shoulders. "Then I think it's time we blew this popsicle stand."

Carter nodded and put the objects back inside the protective black coating as best she could before tucking them into the pocket of her vest. She turned back to the computer. "I'll transport us into the hallway, but I'm not sure if we'll arrive alone."

"There may be some oogly booglies lurking about."

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, then. Let's go fight some bad guys." He took a firmer grip of his P-90.

Carter picked her weapon up off the panel beside her and put the strap over her head with a wince. "I'd better let the others know we're on our way."

OoOoOoOoO

"Ok, Sam. We'll be waiting." Daniel watched Teal'c pull the heavy door shut behind Anise. The room with the Stargate was just as empty as they'd left it and with the door back in place they were safer here than probably anywhere else in the building.

"Sam says stay put. She and Jack will be transporting onto the floor," he said. "She thinks she can get an approximate location from the control center they found by locking on to our transmitters."

"Why then will they not transport directly here?" Teal'c asked.

"She says there's something preventing her from getting a precise reading."

Anise nodded. "It is possible that whatever is blocking Thor's transmitter could interfere with other technologies as well."

"I do not believe this floor to be safe for them. Perhaps we should provide support."

"Sam said stay put," Daniel repeated.

Teal'c raised his eyebrow.

Daniel smiled. "Right. Orders are optional."

"Still," Anise said, "Colonel Carter is correct. We have no way of knowing where they will arrive. It would be unwise to venture out and attempt a search. There are far too many Jaffa."

Teal'c gave a grunt. "Agreed." His eyes landed on Daniel. "We will remain… until we are aware of O'Neill and Colonel Carter's location."

Daniel nodded. "Deal."

OoOoOoOoO

"I think I've got it as close as it's gonna get, sir."

"How close is close?"

"Within three thousand feet."

"That's over half a mile, Carter."

She shrugged. "Best I can do. It's a big place."

Jack stepped up beside her at the panel and stared at the display… as if he could make heads or tails of it, anyway. Finally, he sighed. "Guess it beats the swim."

"You're not wrong." She moved another stone in place and looked up at him. "I think I've been able to make sure we'll transport into a room instead of a hall. With any luck it'll be unoccupied."

Jack nodded. "Luck. Right."

Carter chuckled. "It could happen." She made one final adjustment. "Ready?"

"Yup. Take us away." He motioned with his hand. "Beam us up. Onward and upward. Up, up, and away. …"

A white light surrounded them. They rematerialized inside a pitch black room.

"… Fourth floor, power tools and ladies' lingerie."

Carter switched on her light and swung it around so they could get a look at their new surroundings.

The light didn't reveal much. Walls and a door. No windows. No machinery. Nothing.

Carter reached for her radio. "Daniel."

"We're here, Sam."

"We're on the fourth level, but there are no windows in the room we transported to. We're going to have to leave to find some indication of where we are."

"Understood."

"Maintain radio silence. We'll call you when we have a better handle on our location."

"Be careful. There are plenty of Jaffa out there."

"And I'm sure Ba'al is still around here somewhere," Carter said.

"I guess I should have assumed he was behind the ambush."

"Just stay there. We'll get to you as soon as we can."

"Teal'c's getting a little antsy."

Jack smiled. Antsy was not a word he would normally associate with Teal'c. He knew what Daniel was talking about, though.

"Tell him it's an order." Carter turned to Jack and mumbled, "For all the good that'll do."

"He heard you," Daniel said.

It was as good as she'd get. She turned loose the radio and took another look around the room.

"Looks like the light fixture has been damaged." She pointed her P-90 at the broken mechanism.

"Let's hope the door still works. I don't feel like prying another one open tonight."

Carter shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

They approached the door and stopped long enough to listen for sounds outside.

"What do you think?"

Jack pursed his lips. "We have to try it some time."

She nodded. They each took a different side of the door. Jack nodded to Carter and she passed her hand in front of the sensor. The door slid open. Silence greeted them.

Jack peeked out into the hallway. "Coast is clear," he said.

They raised their weapons and stepped out of the room.

The west wing had obviously suffered the ages more than the rest of the building. Lights flickered inside broken fixtures, chunks of cement and metal littered the floor, and water damaged walls were stained with mold and mildew.

"Looks like Daniel's group drew the short straw," Jack said.

"I don't know, sir. I think I'd rather walk through weathered halls than jump off a thirty story balcony."

"Aww, Carter. Don't tell me that wasn't a little fun." He took in the smile that slowly spread across her face and smirked.

The sound of footsteps brushed Jack's ears. They seemed to be coming from up ahead, down the hall that intersected the one they were in.

They froze and Jack eyed the rubble for a place to hide. He saw Carter do the same.

Carter crouched down behind a fallen sheet of metal. Her face twisted at the uncomfortable position forced on her broken rib. Jack felt a little guilt at having hurt her. But just a little. Pain was much preferable to death.

He scuttled behind a thick support beam that ran vertically down the wall a few paces ahead of Carter's hiding place.

He listened to the footsteps grow louder and hoped their owners would continue on past their hall.

Jack peeked out and jerked his head back quickly as the first of the Jaffa marched past. He heard the footsteps continue on and breathed a sigh of relief. He waited for a full thirty count before taking another peek. He wished he hadn't.

The super soldier that had stopped at the connection to make sure the hall was empty spotted him.

Jack took an instinctive step away as it broke into an eerily silent run… straight toward him.

"Move, sir." Carter's voice was calm.

Jack stepped to the side.

Carter squeezed off a shot from the disruptor attached to her P-90. The drone faltered, and then kept coming. She shot it again and it fell to the floor.

Jack walked up to it and nudged it with his boot. She came up beside him.

"See?" She held up her weapon with satisfaction. "Disruptors. Standard issue."

"It's a good thing those are so quiet. The Jaffa that just passed by can't be that far away yet."

Carter nodded. "If it had been a Jaffa under that armor, we'd have a lot more to deal with."

Jack knew the weapon wouldn't have been effective were it anything other than a Kull warrior inside the suit and P-90 fire would have surely drawn the others back to their position. "Let's just be grateful and move on."

Carter stepped around the body of the Kull and led the way to the end of the hall. A quick peek around the corner told them the group had moved off out of sight.

"Left or right?" he asked.

Carter thought for a moment. "I'm guessing left will take us toward the outer walls of the compound."

"Left it is."

It didn't take them long to find their way to the outer wall. The windows in the rooms alongside the hall were a dead giveaway. They ducked inside one to radio Daniel.

"Can you describe what's in the room?" Daniel asked.

"There's nothing in it, Daniel," Jack said. He heard Daniel sigh.

"Look out the window. Is there a floor above you? We were just in a room that didn't have any floors above it…"

Jack watched Carter lean out the broken window and look up. She came back inside and nodded.

"Yes."

"Ok. You're going to want to go left when you exit that room. Teal'c will step out into the hallway."

"Just tell him to be careful. We don't want you guys getting into trouble at the Stargate."

"We know, Jack."

"So, left again," Sam said.

Jack nodded.

They carefully stepped into the hall and continued on until they spotted two Jaffa standing post at a "T" intersection ahead.

Jack stopped and narrowed his gaze on their armored backs. He looked at Carter.

She nodded and held up two fingers. Then she pointed to the one on the right.

She was right. If they could quietly take care of these two before they called in reinforcements, they may still make it to the Stargate with little difficulty. It couldn't be too far now. He motioned he'd take the other and stepped forward silently. One thing he did well was move without making a sound. It was one of those things that had occasionally earned him more than a few dirty looks from his ex-wife.

He came within reach of his Jaffa and waited while Carter positioned herself. He only gave a fleeting thought to her broken rib before he jumped up and wrapped his arm around the Jaffa's throat. Carter attacked in the same instant.

Surprised, Jack's Jaffa stumbled under the pressure of the unexpected arm shoved roughly into his larynx.

Carter had opted to use her weapon instead of her arm. She wedged it sharply under the Jaffa's chin and pulled him down and back towards her chest. His reflexes were quicker than the other Jaffa's. He rammed his elbow backward. Sam hissed when the bone connected with her broken rib. Her grip on the weapon loosened. The Jaffa broke free and turned to face her.

Jack held firm to the Jaffa in his arms waiting for him to succumb to his lack of oxygen. The man made futile attempts to escape. Jack could tell he was weakening. He could only watch as Carter was forced to fight. She angled her body so her injured rib faced away from the Jaffa and put her hands up into an upright stance.

The Jaffa advanced and she kicked at his knee. He grunted, but refused to fall. He took another step forward. Carter danced away and let loose an angle kick at the same knee. The Jaffa fell. He landed on his side and instantly jack-knifed his legs. Carter stepped back to try to avoid them, but the Jaffa's legs were too long. They swept under her and knocked her to the ground.

Jack winced at her sharp cry when her rib impacted the floor.

The Jaffa pushed himself off the floor and pressed a button on a small device at his hip. A loud wailing erupted from it.

Great.

With no need for silence anymore, Carter reached for her gun and fired at the Jaffa just as he took a menacing step toward her. The shots rang through the hall.

Jack's Jaffa finally fell. He reached down and helped Carter stand. She grimaced, but fell in behind him at a dead run without a word. As they passed the hall at the "T" intersection he spotted at least seven Jaffa running in their direction. Jack turned and saw several more coming from behind.

If there were any up ahead, they were toast.

Staff weapon fire pelted the walls and floor around them as they ran. There was no way to hold off so many. Their only option was to move as quickly as possible.

Carter turned and fired at the advancing men. He heard the bullets ricochet off their armor. She turned back around and pushed ahead. Jack took his turn. He pivoted and fired off his weapon. He didn't wait to see what he hit. He swung back around and put on speed.

Jack felt a blast burn past his side. The pain took his breath away and he slowed. Carter reached back, grabbed his vest, and pulled. He used the borrowed momentum to get himself moving again. Each step drew an angry pinch from the wound.

Suddenly a blast came from ahead. He continued to run even as dread filled him.

They were surrounded.

Another blast shot past him. It connected with one of the Jaffa pursuing them. The man let out a yell as he fell.

"It's Teal'c!" Carter pointed and Jack let the relief wash over him. His friend lifted his staff weapon and took another shot. Jack didn't know where he'd gotten it, but at the moment he didn't care. Teal'c had always preferred a staff weapon to the Earth guns he carried while on missions. And he was a damned good shot.

"Daniel!" Carter shouted. "C4!"

Jack heard the answering yell. "Right on it!" He couldn't see Daniel, but he guessed he was inside the room Teal'c stood beside.

Jack and Carter rushed past him. "Nice to see you, T," he panted with a slap to Teal'c's shoulder.

"It is good to see you as well, O'Neill," Teal'c said. He fired again and then ducked a shot that came too close.

Jack followed Carter into the room just as the gate whooshed to life in an explosion of blue light.

Daniel handed Carter a square of C4, detonator already settled neatly into the block.

She ran back into the hallway and slid it toward the oncoming Jaffa. Jack peeked around the door. He could practically see the whites of their eyes.

Carter and Teal'c ran into the room and they all rushed to the Stargate in time to see Anise disappear through the event horizon. Daniel followed her.

Sam pushed the button on the detonator and an explosion rocked the room from the hallway. Bits of ceiling fell on them and the Stargate slid a few inches down the wall like a heavy mirror propped precariously against the surface.

Jack didn't look back to see if any Jaffa made it through the explosion to follow them into the room. He, Carter, and Teal'c rushed into the wormhole as fast as they could.

ooooooooooooooooo

And thus ends Act II. Ahead in Act III.... hmmm..... well, some drama, some angst, some mystery, some twists, some excitement, some romance... oh, and a whole lot of whump! Hope you stick around.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **My parents aren't here yet so I was able to pop out a chapter relatively quickly. I have another one on the way, but it depends on how much time I find during the holiday. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Stargate's not mine. I'd think of something clever here, but my parents are going to be here in about two hours and I still need to shampoo my son's floor.

**Warning! **Some shippiness ahead. I just had to. What can I say? I'm a romantic.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

_Daniel handed Carter a square of C4, detonator already settled neatly into the block._

_She ran back into the hallway and slid it toward the oncoming Jaffa. Jack peeked around the door. He could practically see the whites of their eyes._

_Carter and Teal'c ran into the room and they all rushed to the Stargate in time to see Anise disappear through the event horizon. Daniel followed her._

_Sam pushed the button on the detonator and an explosion rocked the room from the hallway. Bits of ceiling fell on them and the Stargate slid a few inches down the wall like a heavy mirror propped precariously against the surface._

_Jack didn't look back to see if any Jaffa made it through the explosion to follow them into the room. He, Carter, and Teal'c rushed into the wormhole as fast as they could._

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

"Doc!" Jack's voice rang out through the infirmary.

"General O'Neill," the doctor said as he shuffled over to Jack's bed, "if you don't cut it out I'll keep you here over night just for spite."

Jack pursed his lips and folded his arms. His head and shoulders were supported by the semi-soft surface of an infirmary cot raised into an upright position. He drew his legs up and ignored the twinge in his injured side. "You'd try," he said.

"Do I need to sedate you?" The doctor threw Jack a look that let him know he'd have no regrets following through with his warning.

Jack decided it was safer not to push. He shook his head and the doctor stepped back through the door to his office at the far side of the room.

"Sadistic fear monger," Jack mumbled under his breath and he shifted again.

"Hey, Jack," Daniel strode into the room and threw him a magazine.

Jack picked it up from where it landed next to him on the bed and took in the cover. "Where did you get this?" He held up the latest edition of Elle. "I asked for a magazine, not a sales catalog for women."

Daniel's lip twitched. "Teal'c found it. Seems Captain Perez has quite a library in her locker."

"And she didn't have anything less… chick?"

"Stop complaining, Jack. It was either that or the copy of Cosmo GIRL she picked up this morning for her daughter."

"You might like that one," Jack said with a straight face.

"Very funny." Daniel stood beside the bed and crossed his arms. "They tell you when you can go home yet?"

"Soon. They're still taking a look at Carter. I'm not the priority." He reached for the glass of water on the tray next to his bed and took a sip through the straw.

"Do they know anything yet?"

"Rib's broken. They checked out her lungs and heart to make sure there wasn't any permanent damage after drowning."

Jack and Daniel both grimaced at the word.

"And?" Daniel asked.

"Looks like she's gonna be right as rain."

Daniel smiled. "Of course she is. She's Sam."

Jack nodded. He didn't really want to think about it anymore. "Find anything on your end yet?" he asked.

"Not yet," Daniel said. "Anise is still trying to get the tablets I found to work. It looks like one will be up and running soon. The other one may be a lost cause."

"Watch her like a hawk, Daniel. You know the Tok'ra would take those for themselves the first chance they got if they could."

"I know. I left Teal'c with her."

"What about the crystal thing?"

"I haven't gotten to it yet."

"You haven't gotten to it yet?" Jack asked. "Daniel…"

"Jack…"

"Carter and I had to jump off a balcony for that package. I want to know that it wasn't just to collect a pretty red paperweight."

"It's a crystal, Jack. No one knows what's on it and there's nothing we have here that is capable of interfacing with it."

"Then find something that's capable."

"It's not that easy…"

"I'm sure you'll find a way."

Daniel shook his head. "That's more Sam's thing."

"Well, Sam's not exactly available right now."

"That's not my fault."

"Oh, so you think it's mine?"

Daniel stopped and eyed Jack for a moment. "Do you?" he finally asked.

Jack threw up his hands and rolled his eyes at the ceiling. His mood was going from bad to worse.

"Don't be an ass, Jack," was all Daniel said before he turned and left the infirmary.

Jack stared at his retreating back and fought the urge to throw the magazine at him. Leave it to Daniel to leave a fight just when it was getting started.

"Coward!" he called after Daniel. Jack sighed and began to flip through the pages. His eyes glazed over at about the fifth pair of high heeled shoes. His mind drifted. Sam. Lying on the floor of the basement. Her lips were blue. Lifeless.

Did he really blame himself for that?

In his mind, he knew there was nothing he could have done. Still, something inside whispered that maybe he could have figured a different way out of the water. Maybe he should have been able to open the door more quickly.

Yeah, and maybe he could walk on water.

Not his fault. So why did he feel so guilty?

Because it was Sam.

She could be Sam in his head, if not in reality just yet.

Things on Fensalir had happened so fast. In the snap of his fingers she could have been gone… a couple of times.

He dropped the magazine on the bed beside him and leaned back. His eyes fell shut and the fear came back to him. Sam's still body. How cold her lips had been against his. He could hear the crack of bone as her rib snapped under his palm. He swore if he never heard anything like that again, it would be too soon.

Their relationship wasn't the typical boy meets girl. He'd already had that and everyone knew what happened there. Jack O'Neill couldn't handle a regular relationship. Nope. He needed someone who could put him in his place; someone who could hold her own in a fist fight; someone who had seen him at his very worst and was still willing to put up with him.

Unfortunately, that meant his someone also lived her life courting death almost every day. It had happened more than once, just like today.

And they weren't even together yet.

How would it be when they were? At least she was off to the relative safety of Area 51 as soon as this was all over. He wouldn't have to worry about her death by staff weapon. Just death by accidental doohickey meltdown.

Jack heard the squeak of a gurney rolling into the room. He opened his eyes to see Sam's bed pushed up next to his. He took in the slack features of the woman laying on it and looked up questioningly at the doctor who picked up the chart at the end of the bed and thumbed through the pages.

"No worries, General," the doctor said with a knowing smile. "We needed to do a couple invasive tests. Since local anesthetics don't work so well on the Colonel, we decided it would be best to put her out instead."

"What kind of tests?"

"The kind that will hopefully tell us why a certain Goa'uld keeps following SG-1 around." The doctor looked up from his chart and met Jack's eyes. "You ordered them."

"I said I wanted her checked for transmitters. I don't understand why that requires invasive tests."

The doctor chuckled. "We routinely check for transmitters every time a team member steps through the Stargate. If the Colonel still has one, it's not going to be of typical design. Finding it requires a little creativity."

Jack nodded and glanced back at Sam. He told himself she was just asleep, but his mind kept showing him a picture of her lying on the floor of the basement. "Did you find anything?"

"We'll know more when the tests come back."

"And when will that be?"

"When they come back."

Jack pursed his lips. He didn't like this guy. "Thanks."

The doctor smiled. If he'd caught the sarcasm in Jack's voice he didn't let on. "You're welcome, General. You're free to go." He went back into his office and shut the door.

Jack looked around and saw that there wasn't anyone left in the infirmary. The clock on the wall told him they were probably all on their way home for the night; something he wasn't going to bother doing.

He sat up and undid the thin gown they'd made him put on. He pulled on the black t-shirt and gray sweat pants someone had been thoughtful enough to leave on the chair next to his bed. Most likely Daniel. Suddenly feeling guilty, he figured he should probably go apologize at some point.

Sam stirred slightly and Jack decided Daniel could wait.

He sat down in the chair at the head of her bed and watched her push through the drugs that had kept her asleep.

Her brow furrowed as she became more aware. It scrunched up and then relaxed. The hair at her temples moved with the action. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. Finally, her eyes opened. They moved directly to him as if she knew he'd be sitting there.

"Hi," she said sleepily.

"Hi."

"What time is it?"

"Late."

"They find anything?"

Jack shook his head and sat forward a little. "Nothing yet." He gestured at the closed door at the end of the room. "The Grinch says he'll let us know when he knows."

Sam smirked. "I see you've worked your O'Neill charm on another SGC doctor."

He smiled. "Oh, yes. Between him and Daniel, I'm really feeling the love."

"Fighting with Daniel again…"

"He started it."

"I'd swear you were brothers the way you bicker."

"He couldn't be my brother. He's too prissy."

She let out a laugh and caught herself when she felt it in her rib. "Prissy isn't the word I'd use. Strong. Smart. Intuitive…"

"Now you're just trying to egg me on," Jack said.

She laughed again. "Prissy or not, you should go kiss and make up."

"There will be no kissing." His smile lit his eyes and he looked at her lips. "At least not yet."

"Whatever do you mean by that, sir?"

"Absolutely nothing, Colonel." He stood and winked at her before leaving the infirmary.

OoOoOoOoO

Daniel held one of the information tablets when Jack found him alone in his lab. He glanced up quickly before returning his attention to the object in his hands. "Hey, Jack," he said. "I see they let you out of your cell."

"Feeling footloose and fancy free." Jack held out a small dish filled with green Jell-O. "Figured you probably haven't eaten anything in a while," he said.

Daniel's eyes flicked up and then back again. "Thanks. You're right. I skipped dinner."

"Then you'd better eat something."

Daniel finally looked up at Jack and put down the pad. "Sorry. Since Anise got this running I've been reading up on some really interesting stuff."

"If it's that interesting, why isn't our Tok'ra shadow in here?" Jack sat on the stool next to Daniel and picked up the pad. The information was displayed in blue characters that changed when he pushed different buttons, but each one looked as foreign to him as the last. It amazed him that he'd been able to read it and even teach it to Daniel once upon a time.

"Yeah, well," Daniel said around the spoon in his mouth. "I may have downplayed what I found just a bit."

Jack smiled. "That's my boy." He put the pad back on the table. "So, what is it?"

"It's a diary."

"The Ancients kept diaries?"

Daniel shrugged. "Why wouldn't they? It's only natural for certain members of a society to seek an outlet. Ancients shouldn't be expected to be any different."

"So what does the diary say?"

"The room I found this in belonged to the sister named Atropos. So far she hasn't had anything to say about a power device, but I'm just getting to a portion that is showing promise."

Jack raised his eyebrow. "Do tell."

"Atropos was said to be the fate who assigned death. She held the sheers and cut the thread of life, ending someone's existence on Earth."

Jack nodded.

"She writes in her diary about something called Aisa. She's not very clear about it, but I get the impression that it's something big." Jack gave a smile and shook his head. "It's confusing me to all end."

"What's there to be confused about? Maybe this Aisa is the power source Ba'al's looking for."

"The common understanding of Greek mythology was that Atropos and Aisa were one in the same. One person known by two different names."

"And now…"

"It is very clear that Atropos is speaking about something else when she mentions Aisa." Daniel picked up the tablet and thumbed through files until he came to the one he wanted. He held it out for Jack to see and pointed at the words as if Jack could make heads or tails out of them. "See? Here. 'My deepest fear is that Frigga will be unable to carry the burden we have placed on her. She must keep Aisa hidden from all those who would seek its power.'"

"Does it say where Frigg hid Aisa?"

"Not yet. But Jack, we definitely have to find it before Ba'al does."

Jack stood to stretch his legs. "You're telling me," he said. "Let me know where it is and I'll go get it."

"I wish I could. I have a really bad feeling about this whole thing."

"And you're usually the optimistic one."

Daniel shook his head. "Jacob mentioned the 'Destroyer of Worlds.' Aisa, thought synonymous with Atropos, was said to be cold and remorseless; she dealt her death blow with dreaded precision. When she reigned down her judgment on mankind, people died… sometimes by the thousands."

"Sounds like she'd be fun at parties."

"You don't get it, Jack. If Aisa was not Atropos, what was it? Is the reputation as the 'Bringer of Death,' or 'The Destroyer of Worlds' that of Atropos or that of Aisa?"

Jack's face lit with understanding. "Because if it's the reputation of Aisa and Frigg hid it out in the universe somewhere, it could still exist."

Daniel nodded it. "I think it's what Ba'al is looking for. If it has the power to destroy worlds, it wouldn't have any trouble dialing a Stargate."

"Daniel, if Ba'al finds something capable of destroying worlds, the address he chooses to dial on the Stargate will be the least of our worries."

oooooooooooooooo

I swear the carpet shampooer is as big as I am. Oi!


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: **Hope everyone in the U.S. had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. I, for one, am totally stuffed with turkey and look forward to getting creative with the left overs. Hmmm..... turkey stew, turkey enchiladas, turkey and dumplings...

**Disclaimer: **I love playing around with other peoples' characters. Even though they're not mine, sometimes I can pretend.

**Warning! **Too much turkey in a very short amount of time will result in many more hours needed spent at the gym.

ooooooooooooooooooo

_"You don't get it, Jack. If Aisa was not Atropos, what was it? Is the reputation as the 'Bringer of Death,' or 'The Destroyer of Worlds' that of Atropos or that of Aisa?"_

_Jack's face lit with understanding. "Because if it's the reputation of Aisa and Frigg hid it out in the universe somewhere, it could still exist."_

_Daniel nodded it. "I think it's what Ba'al is looking for. If it has the power to destroy worlds, it wouldn't have any trouble dialing a Stargate."_

_"Daniel, if Ba'al finds something capable of destroying worlds, the address he chooses to dial on the Stargate will be the least of our worries."_

oooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Jack watched everyone file into the conference room before he took his seat at the head of the table. Carter sat across the table, her hands folded neatly on top of its polished surface. Her posture didn't give away the pain sitting generated in her rib, but he knew from experience it wasn't the most comfortable position.

Anise had offered to heal her, but Carter refused again. She insisted a broken rib wasn't a big deal, but Jack knew that if a mission resulted from this meeting, she'd have to allow the Tok'ra to heal her before she was cleared to go off-world.

Jack's injury had been nothing more than a simple graze. Should they determine his presence was needed, he'd already been cleared.

Jack felt an elbow nudge him and turned to Landry seated at his left. He stared at Jack and raised his eyebrows with a quick gesture at the people who sat patiently at the table waiting for him to start the meeting.

"Right," Jack said. He'd never really gotten the hang of this part of running the SGC. He wished he could just turn the whole thing over to Landry so he could go out and shoot some bad guys.

"Go ahead, Carter."

She nodded and slid manila folders to the people around the table. Jack opened his to find a photo image of the red crystal he and Carter had retrieved from under the balcony.

"SG-1, accompanied by General O'Neill, was able to gather several artifacts on our mission to the Asgard planet called Fensalir," Carter said. "This is a picture of one of those artifacts."

"What is it?" Colonel Reynolds asked.

"We're not sure," Carter said. Then she tipped her head slightly. "Well, that's not exactly accurate. We know it's a crystal. It's just unlike any we've ever encountered. We have no idea what it does or what kind of device it is designed for."

"So, there's not a lot to report," Jack said.

"No, sir. There's not." Carter unfolded her hands and stretched them out across the table, hands opening upright. "I believe there's a lot to learn. With time, I'm sure I'll be able to determine more about its function, but…"

"But it's time we probably don't have," Landry supplied.

Carter nodded. Her face barely showed her frustration, but Jack picked up on it. "Yes, sir."

Jack swiveled his chair around to face Daniel. "Next."

"That's me," Daniel said and stood. He moved to the view screen at the front of the room and switched it on with the remote. A screenshot capture of the Ancient information pad and its electric green gibberish appeared on the white surface. Daniel pushed another button on the remote and the lights dimmed.

"I've analyzed the information that was retrievable in the first pad I took from Frigg's palace on Fensalir. We've been able to get the second running."

"What was retrievable?" Carter asked.

Daniel shrugged. "About ninety percent of the data was corrupted. I was only able to view a few of the entries." He turned his attention to address everyone at the table. "But what I was able to find is a bit concerning."

"Concerning how?" Landry asked.

"End of the world concerning," Daniel said. He went on to explain the connection between Aisa and Atropos and the "Destroyer of Worlds."

"So, we know there's possibly something out there that may or may not have the power to do something bad, though we don't know what that something may be. And possibly Frigg hid it somewhere in the galaxy after having received it from possible Ancients that may or may not have been Greek goddesses that controlled fate, life, and death," Landry said.

Daniel waited a second and then nodded. "Pretty much."

"So, do we even have a remote idea as to where this Aisa could be hidden?"

"Well," Daniel said. He pushed his glasses up his nose. "No."

"No." Landry folded his arms.

"Not exactly." Daniel circled the table to stand behind Carter. "We know Jacob left Sam a clue. We just don't know what it means as of yet."

Jack nodded. "The page that was wrapped up with the crystal."

"Exactly." Daniel pressed the button on the remote in his hand again and the screen shifted to a picture of the page. "It's a page torn from a Navajo translation of the Catholic Bible."

Carter's eyebrows lifted. "A Bible?"

Daniel nodded. "Navajo."

Colonel Reynolds shook his head. "I don't get it."

"What is Navajo?" Anise asked from beside Carter.

"They're a tribe indigenous to the area," Carter told her.

"Why would Jacob Carter send you a page torn from a text written in this language?" Anise asked. "Do you read it?"

Carter shook her head. "Not a lick." She spun her chair so it faced Daniel. "Any ideas?"

"The Navajo language is very complex. It was used as code in World War II and to this day remains the only code the German and Japanese armies were unable to crack."

"Perhaps Jacob Carter believed it to be too difficult for the Goa'uld to decipher should they find the page," Teal'c said.

"I think that's exactly the reason he chose it."

"That still doesn't explain why he left a page of the Bible for me," Sam said. She turned her chair and met Jack's eyes across the table. He could see the frustration in hers, but he didn't have any more answers than she did. He shrugged and she sighed in return.

Daniel pointed a red laser at portions of the document on the screen. "There are several verses circled on the page. The most obvious is at the top."

"It's the name of the book," Carter supplied. Jack knew her Catholic background meant she was probably pretty familiar with the Bible.

Daniel nodded. "Mark, to be exact."

"As in brother Mark?" Jack asked.

"I can't see dad hiding anything having to do with this program with Mark. He doesn't have security clearance and he's not trained to defend himself." Carter's forehead creased with a frown.

"Unless Mark is unaware he has it," Daniel said.

Carter pursed her lips. Jack noticed the muscles in her shoulders tighten and her jaw clench. The idea that her father would leave something so important with a civilian who was by all rights unable to defend himself seemed to irk her.

Daniel didn't appear to pick up on her sudden change in mood.

"There's more," he said. The screen changed again to focus in on one of the circled portions. Daniel's translation of the text was scrawled beside it in blue ink.

"Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: 'This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!'" Jack read out loud. He turned to Landry, who shrugged. "I don't get it. Mark's Jacob's son. Is it telling us to listen to him?"

"I don't exactly know," Daniel admitted. "It's possible that's exactly what it means."

"It's a bit obvious, don't you think?" Reynolds piped in.

"Selmac would have been more clever," Anise agreed.

"Perhaps he felt the Navajo language was cryptic enough," Teal'c said. "Or perhaps he felt only Colonel Carter would be able to find the crystal with the page and therefore hiding the information to be unnecessary."

"Then why tear it from a Navajo Bible at all?" Reynolds asked. "Why not just write her a note that says, 'go talk to your brother?'"

Jack turned to Carter, who had gone noticeably quiet. Noticeable to him, anyway. No one else seemed to have taken note. Was it his imagination, or did her skin look quite a bit paler?

"Carter?" he asked. His voice was hushed so as not to be heard over the other voices talking across the table.

Her eyes remained fixed on the screen in front of them, as if in a trance.

"Carter," he tried again. This time he reached out with his hand and surreptitiously squeezed her forearm.

She started slightly and dragged her eyes to his. She blinked a couple times to focus on his face. "Sir?"

"You with us?"

Her eyes drifted back to the screen. "I want to see the third," she said.

Jack looked at her a second more before clearing his throat. "Daniel," he called over Anise, who was rambling on about Tok'ra spy strategies or something of the sort.

Daniel put a hand up to silence Anise. "Yeah, Jack?"

Jack twirled his finger in the air. "Let's move on to the next one."

Daniel nodded and the screen changed to the last circled section of the text. "It's further up on the page. 'If I send them home hungry, they will collapse along the way, because some of them have come a long way.'"

"The two do not appear to have any connection," Anise said.

"Actually, they make a lot of sense," Daniel argued. "Mark, the son, and a long journey."

"Where does Mark live again?" Jack asked Carter.

"San Diego," she answered absentmindedly, and then dismissed him with a wave. "What chapter is this verse from?"

"Eight. Why?"

Carter's eyes closed, but she forced them open again almost immediately. The lines around her mouth grew tight. "It's my mother."

"Your mother?" Landry asked.

"It's the day she died." She turned to look at Jack, her eyes reaching for him like he was a life line. He knew this subject was a heavy one for her. She still struggled with the loss. Combined with the still recent death of her father…

"What do you mean, Carter?" he asked.

"The first verse was Mark 9:7. This one is Mark 8:3. She died on September 7, 1983."

Daniel's eyes lit up. "9/7/83."

"Are you telling us the text doesn't even matter?" Reynolds asked

"Not necessarily," Daniel said. "Everything circled on the page points to Mark, but without the date a person still wouldn't really know anything." He turned to Carter. "You've got an idea, right?"

Carter nodded. "Sir, I think he's telling us he's hidden something and I'm pretty sure I know where it is."

OoOoOoOoO

Mark Carter's house was what Jack would have expected to find on a traditional cul de sac on San Diego's Coronado Island. Small yards of green grass, palm trees, short walkway up to a few steps and a small landing at the front door. He could tell by the nervous hesitation in Carter's gait that the scenery was lost on her.

Jack didn't know much about Carter's family. Still, he probably knew more than most people and he wasn't sure if she was really comfortable about that. Carter wasn't the type to advertise that her family had been anything but close since her mother died.

He held back so Carter could approach the door with a little privacy. The thigh-length black cardigan sweater she wore over her white t-shirt and jeans waved in the slight breeze that pushed in off the ocean. They had decided it best not to bother Mark with a lot of SGC personnel. The two of them would be able to find what they needed if Carter was right about where to look. Teal'c and Daniel sat in a small café nearby ready to move in if trouble reared its head.

Jack didn't think Ba'al would sweep in given their location, but this particular Goa'uld was capable of just about anything. He figured it was always better to be safe than sorry.

He'd never met the tall man who answered the door. He was about half a foot taller than Carter and his frame was broad. He was trim and well-built. Unlike the two he knew, though, this Carter had a comfortable stance that spoke of a happy and relatively carefree life.

The two of them talked briefly and then Sam turned and gestured for Jack to step up to the door.

Jack strode up to the pair and held out his hand to Mark. Sam's brother returned his shake with a firm grip.

"Mark, this is my CO, General O'Neill. General, this is my brother, Mark." Jack would have recognized the Carter blue eyes anywhere. They were kind, but held just a little suspicion. Mark appeared to be uncertain as to whether his sister's excuse to be in San Diego was on the level.

Jack didn't have to wonder where the suspicion came from. Jacob and Sam both lived in a world of secrets and Mark didn't have the magic password.

Sam's brother knew enough, though, to eye Jack curiously. His gaze was a bit too perceptive, but Jack wasn't intimidated. He realized Mark would think it was strange for Sam's commanding officer to join her on a family visit.

He was right.

Jack could have sent someone else with her. Should have, really. Daniel or Teal'c would have been glad to come. But he knew that looking through her mother's old things would be hard for her whether she let on or not. He wanted to be here with her. For her. He couldn't allow himself to be with her in any other way. At least he could be a presence. She'd know he was there.

Mark seemed to understand that underneath the discomfort his guests felt, there was also a sense of urgency. "Mom's stuff is up in the attic." His eyes clouded over and his voice was quiet. "What was left of dad's possessions are up there, too."

Jack knew his relationship with Jacob had been rough. He'd barely been able to see his father for the last four years. No explanations.

And what would he have been told? The truth? 'Hey, son, I know you thought I was dying of cancer, but really, I've been healed by a symbiotic snake that now lives in my head while I sneak around the universe trying to overthrow murdering tyrants who would enslave all of us if they could…' As it was, Mark thought the cancer that went into remission four years ago returned suddenly and killed his father.

"Thanks so much for letting us look, Mark. I know it's not easy."

Mark shook his head. "I don't know what you're looking for and honestly, I don't care. I just hope you realize it's pretty soon to be tackling something like this. Dad's hardly been gone three weeks are you're planning to dig through…"

Sam put her hand on her brother's arm and squeezed. "I'll be fine. It's not really something I'm looking forward to, but it's something I have to do."

Mark pursed his lips and led them inside. The home was modest and neat. Kids' toys lay here and there. The carpet was speckled with many colored fibers that would hide stains and muddied traffic. The beige sofa and plush blue recliner were well-worn, as was the large rug that lay under the glass top coffee table. Pictures of smiling Carters of various ages lined the walls. Jack's eyes were drawn to a family photo that was framed beside the fire place. He walked up to it to get a closer look.

A much younger Jacob sat beside a beautiful blond haired woman. Both wore sincere smiles. A young man stood behind the seated pair. Mark's stature spoke of the military school upbringing he was sure to have received. Both he and Jacob wore Air Force blues. Jack focused on the figure perched on the laps of the two adults. A little girl; about six years old… hair pulled back into pigtails with large pink ribbons. Her dress was covered with tiny pink and yellow flowers, the hem riding high up on her leg as she squirmed in her parents' laps. Her skinned knee peeked out from under the skirt.

Jack smiled. She hadn't changed a whole lot since then.

He felt a presence over his shoulder and knew who it was without turning around.

"You would find the single most embarrassing picture in the entire house."

Jack felt his smile widen. "I don't know, Carter. Pigtails, flowers… I think we may have stumbled on a new uniform for the women of the SGC."

"That's incredibly sexist, sir." He could hear the laughter behind the words.

"No it's not. It's innovative." He glanced over his shoulder at her.

Carter stepped back and folded her arms.

"Liberating."

Carter raised her eyebrow.

"Stylish?"

She shook her head.

"Offensive… I meant to say offensive."

Carter hid her smile behind a cough and turned. "Come on, sir, before you find anything else to humiliate me."

"Pashaw, Carter," Jack said with a dismissive wave and followed the two Carters up the stairs. "I find a little daily humiliation to be quite invigorating."

One of the bedrooms on the second floor had a small removable square in the ceiling. Mark pulled a ladder from against the wall and set it underneath. He climbed up the ladder and pushed the square away before he pulled himself up into the dark attic above.

Sam followed him up. Jack waited until she'd disappeared before starting up the ladder. Mark pulled on a small chain hanging next to a bare light bulb just as Jack's head and shoulders cleared the floor of the attic. The dark space was flooded with light. Sam had already moved to the stack of boxes in the far right corner. Jack climbed the rest of the way, taking in the piles of old clothes and magazines. It was a tight space. He and Mark had to dance past each other as they switched places.

"Take your time, Sam," Mark said and stepped through the hole to the first rung of the ladder. "Dinner's at seven."

"Thanks, Mark," Sam said without looking up. She had the lid off one of the boxes and dug inside. Her face was a mask of blank detachment.

"This looks like it could take a while." Jack kept his voice light.

Again, Sam failed to look up. "Yes, sir."

He sighed and lifted a box from the floor beside her to the top of a stack nearby so he wouldn't have to crouch while digging through it. A puff of dust hit him in the face when he pulled the lid off. It was going to be a long afternoon.

OoOoOoOoO

A couple hours later a man bent down to pick up the Sunday paper that lay at the end of the walkway. A pleasant smile on his face, he hummed the catchy song he'd heard on the radio in the car on the way to the quaint little neighborhood nestled near the center of the small island. He straightened, adjusted his expensive tie and brushed at the lapel of his new grey suit. He waved a friendly greeting to the man next door who was taking his black lab for a walk on a fancy looking leash.

He reached into the front pocket of his jacket and fingered the smooth device hidden inside. He slipped a couple of his fingers into the familiar golden nubs and back out again. He withdrew his hand from his pocket and reached out to push the little round button next to the door.

The bell chimed. He heard footsteps approach the door from inside and the rustle of the lock sliding open. He smiled again. His eyes flashed just before the door swung open.

"Mark Carter?" he asked, handing the man his newspaper.

"Yes," the man said. "May I help you?"

"Oh, I think you may be able to help me a great deal." In a flash, his hand struck out and encircled Mark's neck. Blue eyes widened as Mark felt himself lifted from the ground.

Three steps took them inside the house. The heavy door slammed shut behind them.

Ba'al pressed Mark up against the wall beside the door and reached into his pocket with his free hand. It slipped easily into the device. The gold fingertips fit snugly over his own; the round disc nestled firmly in the fold of his palm.

His face settled between a smile and a snarl as he removed his hand from his pocket and raised the device to hover in front of Mark's terrified face. "Tell me," he said, "where can I find your sister?"

oooooooooooooooooooo

Thanks again for the lovely reviews you keep sending. I may sometimes be slow to answer, but I do read them every time. You guys rock!


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: **Life happened this week and made the chapter slow to finish. Post holiday cleaning, project due at work, concert week... it all conspired against me and my writing life. The good new is, I'm trying to work fast from here on to finish the story by the end of the month. Hopefully, by Christmas, but I'm not making any promises. Thanks for sticking with me. The end is in sight. :0)

**Disclaimer: **They're still not mine.

**Warning! **Life is like a bunch of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get. Well, that's not really true. You know if you hate coconut, that's the first one you'll bite into. How that relates to life, I'm not sure. I guess I'll let you come to your own conclusions there.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

_"Mark Carter?" he asked, handing the man his newspaper._

_"Yes," the man said. "May I help you?"_

_"Oh, I think you may be able to help me a great deal." In a flash, his hand struck out and encircled Mark's neck. Blue eyes widened as Mark felt himself lifted from the ground._

_Three steps took them inside the house. The heavy door slammed shut behind them._

_Ba'al pressed Mark up against the wall beside the door and reached into his pocket with his free hand. It slipped easily into the device. The gold fingertips fit snugly over his own; the round disc nestled firmly in the fold of his palm._

_His face settled between a smile and a snarl as he removed his hand from his pocket and raised the device to hover in front of Mark's terrified face. "Tell me," he said, "where can I find your sister?"_

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

"I don't know why I haven't done this before now," Carter said. She put the lid back on another box and pushed it to the side to get at the one underneath. She looked tired, but she'd handled herself well all afternoon.

Jack knew what she was talking about. He still had things of Charlie's in boxes in his attic. His wife's father had boxed them up for him and brought them by after the separation. At the time, it had been all he could do to even touch them long enough to haul them into storage. He imagined if he went through them now it wouldn't hurt nearly as bad as it would have then.

Carter's mother had been gone a long time. She'd had plenty of time to distance herself.

He picked up a couple of quilt blocks from the bottom of his own box and held them up.

Carter smiled and took them out of his hands. "These were always lying around the house when I was growing up."

"A Carter a quilter?" Jack raised his eyebrows and returned her answering smile.

"Yes. She quilted." She tucked the squares into her jeans pocket. "I knit."

That got Jack's attention. "You knit?" He grinned.

"Yes." She met his eyes with a challenge in her own, almost daring him to say something about it.

"When?" He crossed his arms in front of him and sat back against the row of boxes behind him.

"Sometimes," she said. "…when I'm at home… and not busy with something else."

"Uh, huh."

"Ok. So, I don't find time to do it much." She held a finger out at him. "But I do know how."

Jack chuckled and turned back to his nearly empty box.

They'd been at it for hours. He wondered how many more of these boxes they'd have to go through before they found what Carter thought they were looking for. Despite their banter, something Jack made sure to maintain in order to lighten the atmosphere, he'd seen Carter's mood darken a little more each time she opened a new box. It wasn't her mother's things that bothered her most, he could tell. It was the pictures of Jacob she ran across. The medals. The marriage certificate.

Jacob's death was just too recent for her to be sifting through his wife's things.

Jack put the items back into the box, then lifted the lid off yet another one. He removed a photo album off the top to reveal a bunch of papers twelve inches thick. Pay dirt.

"Carter."

She must have heard the urgency in his voice because she looked up alertly. "Sir?" She stood and stepped around the stacks so she could peer down into his box. "This is promising," she mumbled.

He nodded and reached inside to grab a stack. He handed it off to Carter before taking another for himself. He heard her move back to her perch atop a step-stool nearby. She plopped her bounty down on the tall metal trunk at its feet.

"You know," he said, "if we're not right about this we're back to square one."

Her eyes flicked his way and then went back to perusing the papers he'd given her. "Your point?"

He shrugged. "Don't really have one. Just saying…"

"It's got to be here, sir. Dad wanted me to find something. I know it."

"Then I know it, too, Colonel." He thumbed through the top of his stack. It seemed Carter had been a do-gooder starting in Kindergarten judging by the yellowed report cards he found held together by a rubber band. He put them aside and moved on.

"There's one thing that's been bugging me, Carter."

Sam's eyebrow shot up. "Just one thing, sir?"

Jack nodded. "This time."

He caught Carter's attempt to hide a smirk.

"If the chapter and verse were all you needed to figure out where to look," he continued, "then why mention Mark at all? It seems a bit unnecessary to put his name out there for evil eyes to see."

Carter shrugged. "Actually, without the name I wouldn't have known what to look for, really."

"Why not?" Jack finished with the papers in his stack and pushed them aside. He dug back into the box for some more.

"Just knowing the date wasn't enough. It could have meant dad hid something at mom's grave or where we lived when she died, or any number of other places. Mark can't know anything about the Stargate or dad's other life. Since dad dropped his name, I figured it had to be an object he left with Mark. Most likely an obvious one he'd never suspect had been tampered with… and what object is most associated with the date of a person's death?"

Jack's eyes widened as they fell on the object inside a long white envelope. He held it up to Carter. "A death certificate," he said. He pulled out a folded paper.

"You found it?"

"I found it."

She eyed the document like it was a snake about to strike, but reached out and took it from him anyway. "Anything in the envelope?" she asked.

He peeked inside and shook his head. "Nada. Just that." He gestured to the certificate in her hands.

She sighed and carefully opened it up. Folded neatly inside was a small scrap of paper.

Jack stood and moved so he could read over her shoulder. The note was clearly written in Jacob's handwriting.

"Look near the faintest jewel of Friggerock." Carter looked up at him with questioning eyes.

Jack shrugged. "Don't look at me. I just work here." He glanced around the dusty attic. "Well, not here."

Carter ignored him. "Friggerock must have something to do with Frigga." She tucked the small paper in with the quilt squares she'd pocketed and refolded the death certificate.

Jack took it from her and slipped it back into its envelope. "Makes sense. Let's hope Daniel can figure it out. You know he loves a good riddle."

Carter nodded at him and stood again. The attic floor creaked under their combined weight. "Let's get out of here. I don't feel comfortable staying in one place too long."

"We're on Earth, Carter. What could possibly happen to us in sunny California?"

The floor at their feet erupted in a blast of heat and shattered wood. Jack recognized the distinctive sound of a hand device letting loose again. Another explosion burst so close he smelt the singed hair on his arm.

Jack rushed at Carter and pushed her back until they both hugged the wall. He stood close beside her and threw out his arm in a pathetic attempt to shield her as the next shot tore through the floor and destroyed the box he'd pulled the certificate from. Pieces of cardboard, paper, and ash rained down on them.

"Sir, if you ever say something like that again, remind me to shoot you." Carter pulled her pistol from her shoulder holster and aimed it downward.

Jack winced and did the same, though he knew there was no way their guns would hold a candle to a hand device.

He read in Carter's face that she'd figured the same. Still, she fired off shots through the thin attic floor anyway.

They were sitting ducks up here.

Hand device meant Goa'uld. Goa'uld and current circumstances meant Ba'al. "Man, I hate him."

Carter nodded and shot him a worried gaze. "Mark's down there, sir."

Jack sympathized, but reality wasn't pretty. "If Ba'al's upstairs in the bedroom, chances are your brother's already been… neutralized."

He didn't miss Carter's wince. Her eyes darkened. "Right."

"Colonel Carter." Ba'al's jovial voice rose up from the floor below. He chuckled. "Your brother tells me you've been up to your elbows in your parents' things all afternoon."

Carter didn't flinch.

"Tell me, did dad leave us anything interesting to find?"

Another blast shot through the floor. This one was closer to them and they had to press back against the wall to avoid being hit. The blast rushed up and slammed into the thin boards lying crosswise over the beams above them. Another box exploded and sent slivers of shattered glass down on their heads.

Jack closed his eyes against the assault and felt the bite as several shards cut through the skin on his face and hands. He opened his eyes again and took in the bright colors now littering the floor. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas," he said.

"Very funny, sir. You're not going to find out anything if you kill us," she yelled.

"I'm not trying to kill you." Ba'al's voice came from directly under them now. "I just want you to join me down here." The Goa'uld punctuated his statement with a burst from the hand device. The floor at their feet, already weakened by his previous assault, moaned.

Jack didn't have time to move before it gave under his feet. He felt the shattered wood scrape him through his clothes as he fell down into the room below.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam's heart fell with Jack when he went through the floor. Shit.

Without thinking, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone.

"Sam." Daniel's voice answered after only one ring.

"Ba'al's here. He's got my brother and the General."

There was only a moment of silence. "We'll be there in five minutes. Where are you?"

"Attic."

"We're coming." The phone went silent. Sam pocketed it and grasped her gun with both hands.

"Colonel," Ba'al called out. "While I like O'Neill's company, it's not really why I'm here."

"Why don't you come on up then?" Her eyes darted across the room for anything that could help her. All the way across the attic she saw something.

"I'd rather you came down here." The hand device began firing again.

Sam jumped across the hole Jack had fallen through and ran for the opposite wall. The blasts kept coming. One right after another. The floor below her screamed and shook with every step. Fire burst to life amidst the boxes. It spread quickly. The heat snagged her sweater and it ignited. She shrugged out of it and kept running even as the assault from below continued to pour up through the floor.

It was only seconds before she reached the other wall, but it felt like much longer.

She stopped and holstered her gun before ramming her elbow through the glass of the small attic window. It cut through her skin, but she ignored the pain and pushed the jagged glass away from the pane.

Sudden pain raced along her leg, caught from below. She fell and her broken rib screamed. A quick glance told her she'd just been winged.

The buckling floor and growing inferno told her she didn't have time to lick her wounds. She reached up to the window frame and pulled herself up.

As quickly as she could, she stuck one leg out the opening, grabbed on to the frame as tightly as she could, and pulled her body the rest of the way out. She lowered herself as slowly as she could until she hung loosely from the window.

Glass dug into her hands where they gripped the pane. She looked down. It would be a long fall. It would hurt. She had no other choice.

Sam closed her eyes and let go.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack pushed himself up into a sitting position. His sides and chest were on fire. From the smell of things, they weren't alone. He looked up and saw smoke pouring down from the hole in the attic floor.

His head spun.

"You stupid sack of…"

"Now, General. That's no way to speak to a god." Ba'al didn't portray any sense of urgency. Sick self-assured snakehead with delusions of immortality…

"You and I both know you're no god."

"I know no such thing," Ba'al said.

"You know she won't come down," Jack said.

"I do realize that."

"She'll die up there before she gives you what you want." He almost choked on the words. The air grew increasingly heavy with black smoke. He shook his head. "I don't know what you think you're going to find…"

"I think you know there's a lot more than a power source at the end of this little treasure hunt."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "I do?"

"While I intend to use the device to its full potential, it will pale in comparison to what lies on the other side of the Stargate it opens."

Jack felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. He didn't like the sound of that.

Ba'al looked up at the ceiling and then drew his eyes back to Jack. "You can order her to come down."

"She won't."

The Goa'uld took a step closer to Jack. Ba'al's hand stretched out to point the device at his forehead. "Order her."

He couldn't order her to step out of one fire and into another. God help him. He shook his head.

Ba'al's eyes flashed. Only for a second. Then they narrowed. "You were with her. What did you find?"

Jack shrugged. "A lot of dust."

Ba'al's gaze didn't leave him while he weighed his options. Even as pompous as the Goa'uld was, the fire had to speed things up for him. Jack saw the decision light his eyes. "Leave her to burn then. I have you." He raised the weapon to gesture for Jack to move. "Downstairs."

It was Jack's turn to weigh his options.

There was a window. He remembered it. A way out. He'd have to trust that Carter could fend for herself.

There wasn't anything else he could do. With one last look at the ceiling, he rose off the floor and stepped past Ba'al, the weapon trained on him the entire time. He could hear the roar of the growing fire above as he left the bedroom and headed down the hall towards the stairs.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam tried to curl her body protectively around her broken rib, but it didn't help much as she slammed feet first into the bushes at the edge of the house. The air rushed from her lungs at the impact and she fought to draw a breath.

A hand fell on her shoulder and she jumped, grabbing for her gun in its holster.

"Sam. It's us." Daniel's face swam into view. "We saw you fall. Are you ok?"

Sam had to think about that one for a moment. Her whole body was screaming the word 'rib.' Her leg burned and her hands reminded her they'd spent time getting intimate with the glass in the window. Then her thoughts went to Mark and the General.

"I'm fine," she said.

Teal'c's eyebrow rose under the rim of his black knit cap, but he reached down a hand to help her up.

"I don't know where Mark is. Ba'al was upstairs and the General fell down through the floor into the room he was in." She took a deep breath, still trying to fill her lungs. "Teal'c," she motioned to the left. "Take the front door."

He nodded.

Sam thought briefly about her lost sweater. "Daniel, my phone is probably melted in that fire by now. We'll both need to go in through the kitchen." Another deep breath.

Daniel eyed her. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Sam couldn't hide her frustration. "I just fell two stories with a broken rib. I'm just trying to catch my breath."

Neither man looked satisfied, but they readied to move anyway.

"Wait for the signal to move in. We need to know where they are before we act."

Teal'c nodded and crouched down before running quickly around the corner to the front of the house. Once he was out of sight Sam nodded to Daniel. He picked a small piece of the bush from her hair before he raised his gun at the ready. They took off in the opposite direction.

Sam glanced up. Smoke billowed from the upper floors now. If someone hadn't called the fire department yet, it was only a matter of minutes before they did. They needed to detain Ba'al before anyone arrived. That gave them almost no time.

Sam and Daniel approached the door at the back of the house. She tried the handle and found it unlocked. The smoke detectors screamed from inside. She didn't have to worry about noise as she opened the door and stepped into her brother's expensive kitchen.

The wood floors shined with fresh polish and the marble countertops reflected the pots and pans that hung from the rack over the center island. Its perfection belied the violent fire raging just two floors above them. She was grateful Mark's family was out of town visiting his wife's sister. The situation could definitely be worse.

She felt Daniel's presence beside her and moved deeper into the room toward the door that led to the living room.

Voices reached out to her from the other side.

"What is going on? Did you see his eyes? Why does his voice sound like that?" Mark's voice was bordering on panic. Sam let out a sigh of relief. He was alive.

Jack's voice was calm. "Listen to me, Mark. Just do what he asks and you'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to you."

She heard Ba'al's answering laugh. "You don't have a say, O'Neill. I find it comical that you would even think you do." She heard Mark's pained yelp. "See? Something happened to him. Did you stop it? No." He laughed again. Sam could picture Jack's face at that. It had probably turned murderous.

She could tell from the silence she was right. Jack always joked when he was angry. When it went beyond anger, he shut up.

Sam cracked the door open a bit to peek into the room. Mark was slouched down half across the couch looking bleary-eyed. Blood streamed from his nose and there were dark bruises forming around his throat, but he looked okay. Jack knelt on the floor beside him. His hands were tied behind his back with what looked like a computer cord. Ba'al stood at the window, apparently waiting for something.

"It won't be long now," he told the two of them. "I dared not risk using my transporter twice on this island, what with the military base right around the corner. Now that my detection is imminent, however, I find it is necessary to make a quick exit."

"Then why don't you go? Don't feel you need to keep in touch." Jack's voice was raw. He'd managed to reign in some of his anger, but not all.

"I will go. As soon as the ship arrives. I had it stay out of sight, so to speak, until I needed it." He smiled down at Jack. "As I said, it won't be long now."

Sam heard the wail of sirens in the distance. Ba'al was right. It wouldn't be long. She nodded to Daniel. He spoke into his phone. Teal'c burst through the front door, gun drawn. Carter and Daniel rushed in at the same time.

The three men in the living room barely had time to look up.

Sam wouldn't soon forget the satisfied look on Ba'al's face as he and Jack were surrounded by the white light of an Asgard transporter. Sam blinked and they were both gone.

ooooooooooooooooo

I'm already pushing to the end of the next chapter. I don't foresee anything getting in the way of it being posted tomorrow. Thanks to the wonderful new posters I had with the last couple of chapters. It's nice to hear your voices... err... see your voices... uh... read your opinions. :0)


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: **Rewrites took me a little longer than I'd hoped, but not too much longer. Thanks to sbz for keeping me in check.

**Disclaimer: **I didn't come up with the characters, but since he doesn't have a personality in canon, I lay claim to my Mark. :0)

**Warning! **Much angst there is. Down below you will find it. Speak like Yoda I do. I'm such a nerd.

oooooooooooooooo

_Sam heard the wail of sirens in the distance. Ba'al was right. It wouldn't be long. She nodded to Daniel. He spoke into his phone. Teal'c burst through the front door, gun drawn. Carter and Daniel rushed in at the same time._

_The three men in the living room barely had time to look up._

_Sam wouldn't soon forget the satisfied look on Ba'al's face as he and Jack were surrounded by the white light of an Asgard transporter. Sam blinked and they were both gone._

oooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

"I can't believe you and dad would keep everything a secret from me!" Mark paced the small confines of the guest quarters at the SGC. His nose was bandaged, his eyes black and blue to match his neck.

"You know we couldn't tell you," Sam said from where she sat on the bed. "It was classified… still _is_ classified."

Mark looked so much like their dad when he was angry. He was usually so mild mannered. So calm. Right now it seemed like he'd stepped outside himself and become a completely different person. In his place stood a Mark Sam rarely saw.

"Classified or not," he yelled, "I should have known that dad didn't have cancer anymore. Do you know how many nights I lay awake just thinking about him going out of remission?" His face grew pained and his eyes narrowed. Sam lowered her head in guilt. "Then when you knew he was dying…" He shook his head. "Dad holding out on me, I should have expected, but you… Sam, you were better than him."

"I couldn't tell you. I wasn't allowed," she said again, her voice choked. He was right to be angry. It wasn't fair. He hadn't been there when their dad lay dying in the infirmary and she had. But it hadn't been her choice. It wasn't like she could have just called him up and invited him over. She wished she could will him to understand.

"You couldn't tell me?" He tilted his head and rolled his eyes.

"No, I--"

"And dad wouldn't tell me, would he? Here I thought he'd changed. But he hadn't. Lies. All of it."

"That's not fair, Mark."

"Isn't it?" He leaned down over her. "You remember, Sam. Late nights. Gone days at a time. No explanations when he returned." His teeth clenched. "And then mom."

She sat up a little straighter. "He tried to make amends. He tried to make it right…"

"And how could he possibly do that? By letting some sick parasite nest in his brain? Oh, but that was self serving, too, wasn't it?" Sarcasm dripped like poison from his lips. "It cleared that cancer right up. Good as new." He sneered and snapped his fingers in her face.

"Stop," she warned. "Stop right there." She shoved his hand away and sat forward. Her hands clenched the edge of the bedspread.

Mark didn't notice her rising anger. "Did he cry, Sam? Were there tears of joy?

"Mark…" she warned. She could feel heat bubbling inside her chest.

"How'd he convince them to do it?"

"Don't do this, Mark. It was me..."

"Did he tell them what a good man he was? That he was honorable?" His eyes narrowed again. "Did he tell them about the kids he forgot half the time and the wife he killed? Or did he leave that little bit conveniently out?"

Sam hissed in her breath. "You don't mean that."

"Yes. I do, Sam. I mean every word. Dad was a deadbeat. He always put the job first. It's no wonder he let that thing take him over. Anything for the good ol' U.S. of A, huh?"

Sam snapped. She stood up and was in front of him in two steps. She jabbed her finger at his chest. "You don't know. You don't know how hard it was for him. He didn't get to live at home, Mark. He didn't even get to live on Earth. He gave up his life for the world." She felt the level of her voice rise, but didn't care. "He gave it up for us, Mark. So we would be safe. He was a hero. He was my hero and I'll be damned if I let you stand there and belittle what he did for us."

"What he did for _us_? If what you say is true dad wasn't even dad anymore… he was one of those… those _things _with the glowing eyes and the weird voice..." He shivered visibly.

"He wasn't one of those _things_. He was a Tok'ra. They're different. I told you--"

"So, did he talk like that?" Mark cut her off.

"Yes." She could tell where he was going with this and she didn't like it.

"Did his eyes glow?"

Sam felt backed into a corner. "Yes."

"A monster, then." He raised his hands as if he were making an announcement to the world. "Finally, the real General Jacob Carter rears his head for the masses—his outside as twisted and ugly as the inside."

Sam's hand let fly. The resounding smack of her open palm against Mark's cheek echoed sharply in the room.

Mark stilled. The room grew silent.

It was Sam's barely controlled whisper that finally broke the silence. "Don't ever talk about him like that again. Not to me. I loved him and I still love him. You can think what you want, but I know he cared about us. He cared about _you_, Mark."

Mark's eyes were wide. His hand reached up to touch his red cheek. Disbelief shadowed his expression.

They stood like that for an eternity. Face to face.

Finally Mark closed his eyes and turned his back to her. His shoulders were so tight, his body so stiff, Sam could see the muscles clearly defined through his crisp blue business shirt. She watched his hands ball into fists and his head lowered. "Was he still him?"

Sam barely heard the quiet words. "What?"

"When he came to make amends." Mark turned to face her again, his eyes pleading. "Was he still him?"

Her eyes closed and her heart stuttered in her chest. Then she opened them and looked him straight in the eye. "Yes," she said as firmly as she could.

He stared back for a moment and then his shoulders slumped. He sighed, deflated, and dropped onto the bed. His head fell into his open hands.

Sam watched and waited. His internal struggle was written in the shape of his posture. She fought her own despair. There was so much they had in common. So much they'd been through. They were family and they'd both just lost their father. The fact that he'd believed a lie for years only served to amplify Mark's grief. Watching him struggle with it amplified hers.

Mark looked up and his quiet voice cut through the silence again. "Did he suffer?"

Sam felt her eyes fill. She'd never let the tears there fall, but her father deserved at least this much. She shook her head. "He was happy, Mark. I wish you could have seen him out there… doing what he did. I don't think he ever felt more satisfied than he was those last four years. He really believed what he was doing would make a difference." She sat next to him. "He was right."

Mark's eyes searched hers. She saw her own misery mirrored back to her in them. Then it was as if a switch was thrown and something new lit their blue depths. His lips twitched a little. "The cancer didn't beat him," he said.

"No, it didn't." Sam smiled.

She watched him mull over the rest. Each new thought wrote a different expression across his features.

"He gave his life to save the universe," he said to himself. His eyes watered with pride.

Sam was glad she was there to see it. The rocky relationship between Mark and her dad had been hard to weather.

"He did."

Suddenly Sam found herself wrapped in her brother's arms. She wound her own around him and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sam."

"It's ok." Her voice caught.

"I can be a jerk sometimes." She felt his smile against the skin of her neck. "It's those damn Carter genes."

"We have that in common, you know."

He chuckled and let out a shaky sigh. "Thanks for telling me," he said. "I know even with all I saw today it probably took quite a bit of convincing to be able to tell me everything."

She nodded into his shoulder and squeezed.

He was silent again. Sam knew he was mulling over the incredible information he'd learned so quickly. Aliens. Interstellar travel. Universal peril. Her and their dad in the middle of it all. Finally, he chuckled. "Way to go dad."

She laughed, too. "Way to go dad."

OoOoOoOoO

Jack's awareness came back gradually. Sounds drifted around him, murky and shallow like noises heard underwater. They eventually clarified and became voices and cries far away. Then came the smells. Sweat, body waste, blood. It was the smell of blood that clued him in. He didn't want to open his eyes to confirm it. He didn't really need to.

He did anyway. His eyes opened slowly and he was greeted with the sight of gold covered walls. The stone floor beneath him was pitch black, as were the bars that sealed him inside his cell.

"Great," he groaned. "It's like déjà vu all over again." Not exactly. At least this time it didn't look like there was going to be some confusing the floor is really the wall gravity thing going on.

The voices of others in their own cells were clearer now. They were loud enough to let him know he wasn't the only prisoner in Ba'al's little jail. The gentle rumble beneath him led him to guess they were on a ship… probably another Ha'tak.

Great.

He rolled over onto his stomach and pushed himself up. He didn't bother getting to his feet. What was he going to do? Get his exercise pacing around the small square cell?

He scooted to the back wall and leaned against it. His mind was still a little fuzzy, but as he sat with his knees pulled up and his arms resting across them, more came back. Along with the memories came some sense of relief. He'd seen Sam alive and well. Just before Ba'al had forced him into his little disappearing act. At least he knew she'd found her way out of the burning attic.

Now he needed to make sure he stayed alive… got out of this little prison and back to the SGC.

The sound of marching Jaffa approached in the hall outside his cell. Three Jaffa came into sight and stopped in front of the bars. One of them was Ba'al's First Prime.

Couldn't they have at least waited long enough for him to get his head a little less fuzzy?

The First Prime nodded to one of the others and the bars slid open.

"Our lord has asked for you," the first prime said.

"You can tell him I'm not really his type," Jack said from the floor.

One of the Jaffa marched forward and lifted him to his feet by his shirtfront. The t-shirt material stretched and tore at the collar before he was released.

"You're gonna have to pay for that."

He was given an answering shove.

"Fine. Fine." He moved toward the open door, dragging his feet to prolong his time away from the torture chamber. "Once more with feeling," he mumbled under his breath.

OoOoOoOoO

Sam sat on the bed in the infirmary patiently waiting for Anise to finish with the device she held above Carter's rib. She never would have considered it were it not for Jack. He was out there in Ba'al's hands - _again._ And if she found out where he was she needed to be cleared to go. That meant once again she had to rely on the Tok'ra to take care of her.

She hated that.

Now that she'd straightened things out with her brother and he was safely tucked away in his private room at the SGC awaiting the release of funds from the government to rebuild his charred house, her mind turned to one absentee General.

Anise smiled and lowered the device. "I was able to mend the bone completely."

Sam tried to return the smile, but was unable to put her heart into it. "Thank you Anise. I appreciate it."

Anise tilted her head. "General O'Neill has escaped from Ba'al on several occasions," she said. "I believe he can do so again."

Sam nodded tightly. "I hope so." She hopped off the bed and left the confining space of the infirmary for the even tighter hallway. Anise followed.

"I have been helping Dr. Jackson with his research on the Asgard Frigga. It is most interesting."

"I'm sure it is." Sam didn't want to hear it.

Anise seemed unaware of Sam's delicate mood. "It seems the note you were able to save from your father talks about Friggerock, otherwise known as…"

Sam stopped at the door to her private quarters. "Anise, I'm grateful for all you've done, but I need a moment. We're all headed up to the briefing in about fifteen minutes. I'll see you there, ok?" She tried to make her tone as polite as she could when really what she wanted to do was yell.

Anise nodded and gave her another smile. "I will see you then."

Sam opened the door and let herself inside the dark room. The door shut behind her. She flipped on the small bedside lamp rather than the harsh overhead fluorescent and sat on the bed. Something bulky made her jeans a little too tight. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the quilt squares.

They were all she had left of her mother. Everything else had burned. Her mom's things. Her dad's things. All gone, but these two squares.

And Jack.

She laid the squares down on the bedside table and stood to splash some water on her face in the connected quarter-bath. The water helped and she stood there for a few moments schooling her expression in the mirror.

It was a calm and collected Samantha Carter who let herself out of her room five minutes later. She'd slid into the role as easily as she had slid into her green BDU's.

She made her way to the conference room. Daniel and Teal'c were already seated at the table. She took her seat between the two and smiled at them warmly.

They knew her better than anyone. No words, but support nonetheless.

General Landry walked into the room with Anise and the doctor close behind. He took the chair Jack frequented and she tried to not resent it. She didn't know the man. He was apparently a friend of Jack's. They seemed so different. Landry carried himself like he was all business. She knew the type. By the book. Strict. Stuff-shirted, Jack would call it. She had a hard time seeing this man sitting with Jack at the poker table drinking beers and joking about The Simpsons.

He turned to the doctor without any pretense. "Tell us why we just lost the General to Ba'al, doctor." He shot his gaze to Sam and back again. She couldn't read his expression and didn't know why he'd looked at her. Was it because he knew about her future plans with Jack, or did he blame her for his capture?

The doctor opened up a manila folder that sat on the table in front of him. "I received the results from Colonel Carter's spinal fluid. It appears there is an isotopic marker floating around in her system. It was injected at some point during her interrogation and blended with the naquadah in her body."

Sam sat up straighter. "A tracking device?"

The doctor shook his head. "Not exactly."

"Not exactly means…?" Landry asked.

"It's not a device," the doctor explained. "It's more like a radioactive beacon. If you know what to look for it is quite easy to track."

"So Ba'al can see exactly where she is right now," Landry said.

"At the moment, yes, sir. She's lit up like a Christmas tree."

"Is there a way to shut it off?" Daniel asked. "Flush it out of her system or something?"

The doctor turned his eyes to Sam. "I think I've mixed up a pretty effective cocktail. It won't be pleasant to drink, but it should neutralize the isotope."

"Do you have it on you?" Sam asked.

The doctor chuckled. "No. It'll be waiting for you in the infirmary as soon as we're done here."

"So, that explains the apparent mind reading stint Ba'al's been pulling," Landry said. He turned to Daniel. "Now let's see if this latest outing was worth it."

Sam winced. Worth losing Jack O'Neill? She wasn't writing him off, but it seemed for the moment the SGC's priority would be stopping Ba'al from doing whatever it was he intended on doing with the power source and the Stargate. Jack would say it was rightly so.

Daniel stood. "Anise and I think we know where the device is."

"Already?" Sam couldn't hide her surprise.

"We believe so," Anise said.

Daniel opened his folder and paced around the table. "The message from your father said to look near the weakest jewel of Friggerock."

Sam nodded. This much she knew.

"Frigga was known in Norse mythology as a spinner, much like the three sisters. Now, her spinning wheel was housed in the night sky. It was called Frigg's Distaff and was said to be made up of the stars that form the celestial equator." He lowered the lights and took up the screen remote. An image of several stars appeared on the screen. He put them into time lapse motion.

"The stars all rotate around this equator, appearing to the people in Frigga's day to be like a spinning wheel."

"And the spinning wheel is important because…" Landry prompted.

"Frigg's Distaff went by another name," Anise said.

Daniel froze the screen again. "It's also known as Friggerock." He pointed to the brightest spots on the screen. "These three stars are known as the center of the spinning wheel. They are Friggerock." He tapped the one furthest to the right. "This star is the dimmest."

Sam recognized the stars. Without the others spinning around them it was obvious. "That's Orion's belt."

"It is," Anise said. "The star on the right is the one we believe Jacob Carter mentioned in his message. It is called Mintaka."

"No. That's not right." Sam shook her head. "My father spoke to the Tok'ra about being on a planet. There are no planets near that star."

"Why not?" Landry asked.

"The star appears to be too large," Teal'c said. His lips pursed as he looked at the picture.

Daniel nodded. "Teal'c and Sam are both right. There are no planets near Mintaka. If there were they wouldn't have any atmosphere and Jacob would have died the instant he crashed."

"Why wouldn't there be an atmosphere?" Landry asked again.

"Mintaka is actually a binary star system. It's made up of a class O and a class B star," Daniel explained. Stars of these classes burn big and they burn bright. So bright they would literally cook off any atmosphere a planet nearby might have. Usually they wouldn't have any planets anywhere near them anyway."

"Then why do we think this is the place Jacob found the planet with the power source?" Landry asked.

"Because the clues fit." Daniel said. "And it would be the perfect place to hide something so dangerous you wouldn't want anyone to find it."

Sam watched Daniel's excitement level rise. She heard it in his voice… saw it in the size of his gestures. He thought he was right and Sam had learned that his instincts were usually dead on.

"So you think Frigga hid an entire planet next to this star system?" Landry pointed to the spot on the screen. To Sam's ears it sounded pretty incredulous. Still, she'd seen the impossible more times than she could count.

"Well, not too close and it wouldn't have to be a planet… it could just be a small moon for all we know, but… yes."

"The Ancients have shown before that they are capable of creating shields that can sustain an atmosphere within," Anise said. "It is also possible that such a shield could be permeable from the outside without allowing the atmosphere to escape. Since it is believed that Jacob Carter used a Stargate that he somehow disabled during his departure from the planet, he would not have disturbed the shield further."

"This is all based on assumption and conjecture."

Sam's gaze drifted to the top of the table trying to hide her disappointment. Landry wasn't going to go for it.

"Yes," Daniel said.

Landry sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers over his chest.

Sam held her breath. Her father had gone to great pains to get her this information. If Landry kept her from following through…

"You have a go. Take the Prometheus." Landry sat forward and pointed at them. "But I don't want a repeat of the last few missions. I'm sending the Daedalus, too."

"Colonel," he continued, "you've got command. Take SGs three, five, seven, and fifteen. If Ba'al shows up again, I want to make it very clear that he can't just walk in and take something we've already laid claim to." Landry stood and walked to the door.

"Get it done," he called over his shoulder.

The rest of them sat for a moment in shock.

Daniel was the first to speak. "That was…"

"Easy," Teal'c finished.

Sam nodded. "I think I like him," she said.

"I think he's nuts," the doctor said before he stood and left the room.

oooooooooooooooo

I, personally, don't think he's nuts. I think he's a pretty cool character (though no one beats out Hammond).


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: **I am still holding on to my hope to finish this story before the end of the year. These last two chapters have been important transition chapters. The next one will be, too. After that, I predict quick writing. We're nearing the end... I can't believe it.

**Disclaimer: **They're never mine. I just move them around like my very own paper dolls.

**Warning! **A little bit of torture here... not too much. It's torture light. :0)

ooooooooooooooooo

_"You have a go. Take the Prometheus." Landry sat forward and pointed at them. "But I don't want a repeat of the last few missions. I'm sending the Daedalus, too."_

_"Colonel," he continued, "you've got command. Take SGs three, five, seven, and fifteen. If Ba'al shows up again, I want to make it very clear that he can't just walk in and take something we've already laid claim to." Landry stood and walked to the door._

_"Get it done," he called over his shoulder._

_The rest of them sat for a moment in shock._

_Daniel was the first to speak. "That was…"_

_"Easy," Teal'c finished._

_Sam nodded. "I think I like him," she said._

_"I think he's nuts," the doctor said before he stood and left the room._

oooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Jack fought against the scream he'd held onto for far too long. His feet were on fire! He'd thought the insertion of the needles had been bad. That was before Ba'al had turned the device on. Now, he didn't know where one needle ended and the other began. The agony raced like knives under his skin from his feet up through his legs and into his chest.

Somewhere above him he heard a voice. _His_ voice. The maniacal animal who'd seen him strapped down to the metal slab of a table inside his Frankenstein's laboratory of horror. "Come now, General," the voice said. "You can let it out. I know you want to." He felt the presence of Ba'al's face as he lowered his lips next to Jack's ear. "Colonel Carter did."

Jack closed his eyes tight and clenched his teeth. In the back of his mind he'd known. Now it was right out there. Sam had gone through this exact same thing - while he'd been sitting pretty not really that far away.

"Why don't you try it for a while and see how long you can hold out?" he spat.

Ba'al chuckled. "I do not believe that is a competition I care to enter." He stood back to his full height and clasped his hands behind his back. "You know, General, you need only tell me what you and the Colonel discovered in her brother's home and all this," he motioned to the room, "will stop." A smile spread across his face as if he knew full well Jack would never talk—like he was just enjoying witnessing the pain.

"What, this?" Jack forced a humorless laugh to disguise the cry of pain he couldn't hold in any more. Sweat rolled into his eyes and he shut them again. He welcomed the burn. It took his mind momentarily off his feet. "I've had worse. I sat through Battlefield Earth. The whole thing."

"Forgive me, Lord Ba'al."

Jack's eyes shot open. Ba'al's First Prime bowed respectfully to his master. He hadn't heard the Jaffa enter, but welcomed the distraction.

Aggravated, Ba'al switched off the machine and turned to his servant. "What is it? I'm busy."

Jack let out a sigh the instant the machine became inactive. The nerves in his feet continued to hum, but the blinding pain was gone. He tried to catch his breath.

"Your presence has been requested on the peltak."

Ba'al's teeth bared. They were a stark white in contrast to the backdrop of his black horseshoe goatee. "And who is requesting this?"

"Your…" the Jaffa's eyes flicked quickly to Jack and back again, "associate in the field, my lord."

Ba'al's eyes lit with recognition. "Ah. Then I shall not leave them waiting." He turned to Jack. "General, I'm afraid our time together will have to be postponed." He stepped closer to the table Jack was strapped to and leaned down. "Believe me when I say, I look forward to the many good times we'll share."

"I'm going to kill you one day," Jack said.

"I look forward to seeing you try, O'Neill." The Goa'uld smiled again and his eyes flashed. Then he was on his way to the door.

"Take him back to his cell," Ba'al threw over his shoulder to his First Prime.

Jack heard the door slide open and shut again. There was a short moment of silence before the clank of metal shod boots drew nearer to the table. His brutish face came into focus.

"If you're looking for a date, you might try the lady in the cell next to mine. She sounded like a real winner," Jack said.

The Jaffa didn't smile.

"Tough crowd."

He took a few steps closer and then, much to Jack's surprise, knelt down in front of him.

"Really," he said, "I don't do well at parties."

"My name is Shal'el," the First Prime said. "I am of the Free Jaffa."

OoOoOoOoO

"There it is." Sam pointed down to the giant ring that stood in the room below them.

Mark stepped closer to the window of the conference room, his eyes wide, and put his fingertips to the glass like a boy salivating over candy in a storefront window.

She smiled.

"It doesn't seem possible that could…" Mark said.

"Open a wormhole to other planets? I know."

"Will I get to see it turned on?" He looked up at her expectantly.

She shook her head. "Sorry. You have to have clearance for that. I was only able to get permission for you to see it now because there's not a team scheduled back for another eight hours and SG-1 is on stand down until the Prometheus is ready."

"And then you're off to where?"

She pursed her lips and folded her arms in front of her. "You know I can't tell you that."

He rolled his eyes and stepped back to the glass.

Sam heard footsteps and looked up to see Daniel come into the room. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked Mark. "I remember the first time I saw it."

Mark chuckled. "You thought it was just a huge hunk of metal?"

"Yeah, well…" he shrugged, "… after that." Daniel stood next to Sam. "Your sister's had more time with it than I have, but I feel extremely lucky to be a part of something so important."

"And do you intend to stay on SG-1 after my sister leaves your team?"

Sam's heart dropped. Damn. She knew she shouldn't have told Mark. He could have waited until after she'd told Daniel. It had just been such an emotional morning and their conversation had taken a turn to the future. She'd felt the need to quell Mark's fears for her safety, especially after Anise had come in to ask her if she needed another turn with the healing device. It hadn't taken him much time to figure out that Sam had spent a little too much time in the infirmary of late.

She felt Daniel stiffen beside her.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I… I'm sorry. I assumed you knew. I only found out myself this morning," Mark stammered.

"Sam?" Daniel's voice was calm, but she heard the hurt underneath.

She turned to him and drew in a long breath. "I…"

"You're leaving the team," he finished for her. His eyes clouded.

She nodded. "After this mission." She went on as quickly as she could. "I was going to tell you, but the timing never seemed to be right."

Mark shifted uncomfortably beside her. "I think I should…" He made to leave and Sam grabbed his sleeve.

"Don't you dare. You started this. Now you can stay for the cleanup."

Daniel was still quiet. She could see him digesting the news. She saw the moment he figured it out. His eyebrows lifted and head tilted slightly. "Jack's leaving, too," he guessed.

"What was that?" This time the question came from Mark.

Double Damn. Just hearing Jack's name sent her mind in a whirl. To have to explain everything to her brother now…

"Sam?"

"It's about time," Daniel blurted. A smile grew on his face. "Is he retiring or…?"

"About time for what?" Mark looked from one to the other. "Isn't General O'Neill her CO?"

"Not after he goes to Washington," Sam said finally.

"Washington?" Daniel's eyebrows danced again.

"General Hammond is retiring. The General's been offered his position." Her eyes dropped to the floor. "If he can survive long enough to take it."

"Jack? He's a stubborn ass. He'd never let himself die now." She heard the confidence in his voice and looked up. "Anyway, I was just coming to bring you some news."

"What news?"

"Teal'c just received a transmission from the council."

The excitement in Daniel's eyes made her heart thump harder in her chest. "And?"

"It seems they've had an operative with Ba'al for some time. He wasn't with Ba'al while we were with him last, but you know Jack and his luck."

"And he's going to help." Sam couldn't quite hide her own rising hope.

"He is. It seems the Jaffa are ready to make their move and take out Ba'al…"

"Why now?" It didn't make sense to Sam. If they were just going to kill Ba'al outright, why not do it sooner?

"Anise has an idea about that," Daniel said. "She thinks the Tok'ra are behind it."

Sam shook her head. "The Tok'ra and the Jaffa aren't exactly the nicest of bedfellows."

Daniel nodded with a frown. "You can guess that the Tok'ra didn't just go up and ask the Jaffa to do their dirty work. There's got to be some sort of manipulation involved."

"Why now?"

"I can't say that I particularly like the reasons, but…"

"They don't trust us to stop Ba'al from getting the power source."

"Nope."

"Who are these people? You talk about them like you don't like them."

"I like some of them," Sam explained. "It's just they're not always the most helpful people around."

"They tend to serve themselves first," Daniel said.

"And dad was one of them?"

"He was on their council, but he and Selmac had lost a little of their luster in the council's eyes by the time he died." Daniel shrugged. "They thought your dad's humanity weakened Selmac's loyalties to the Tok'ra."

Mark shook his head. "You're talking about two people, but they were both there. Together."

"Yes." Sam put her hand on her brother's shoulder. "I know it's hard to wrap your brain around."

"You're telling me."

Without warning the little red light above the window began flashing and an alarm sounded.

"What's that?" Mark's anxiety level jumped.

Daniel and Sam both pushed in to see the Gate activate behind the iris in the embarkation room below. The bright blue glow shimmered out from the back side of the metal ring.

Mark's eyes grew bigger. "Was it supposed to do that?"

Sam shook her head.

"Colonel Carter." She spun on her heels and snapped to attention as Landry appeared.

"Sir."

"You're going away for a moment or two."

"Going away?"

Landry frowned. "I'm told that at least this time I should be grateful he even bothered to ask."

"Sir…?"

Sam's words were cut off as she dissolved in the bright light of an Asgard transporter.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack tried not to show the extent of his shock as he stared up at the Jaffa who worked to release his hands from where they were restrained perpendicular to his body. He gestured with a nod to the gold symbol shining on the man's forehead. "Pretty nice gig, Shal'el."

"I have spent many years in the service of Ba'al in order to reach this status. Now that the Jaffa have found freedom from the Goa'uld, my rank will serve my people well."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Not that I mind, but won't they figure out someone let me go? You could be giving up an advantage that is a lot more valuable than my life." His right hand came away from the table. He balled it into a fist several times trying to get some feeling back into it. His muscles were stiff from both the fall through the floor and being restrained for so long.

"Perhaps," the Jaffa agreed. "It is much sooner than I had planned to act, but Ba'al is drawing closer to finding the ability to step through the Chaapa'ai to places unknown to us. The council has sent word that it is time. They believe he is about to make his move."

"And how do you intend to stop him?"

"I will assassinate him."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh, that."

"If I am successful, this ship will be thrown into chaos. I have been asked to ensure your escape before I enact my plan."

He didn't take time to wonder who had requested his release. He decided to just take it in stride. "I like that part."

The Jaffa finally rewarded him with a smile. "I am sure you do."

Jack's other hand came away from its outstretched position. This arm didn't move as easily. He felt a pull all the way down his raw sides when he brought it in to massage the hand back to life.

"We are over the planet Revanna," Shal'el said. "I will take you to the ring room and you will go down to the planet's surface. It has been abandoned for some time, but there is still a Stargate still there." He moved to Jack's feet that were still hooked up to Ba'al's machine. His eyes flicked up to Jack. "I am sorry for the pain I am about to cause you." Without any other warning he reached out and yanked at the chord attached to all the needles embedded in his right foot.

Jack let out a sharp cry. "That's… right, Shal'el," he said through clenched teeth. "Like a Band-Aid." Sweat fell down the back of his neck. "I like your style."

Shal'el smiled again. "You are about to like it again." He yanked at the second chord and Jack felt the needles pull from his left foot.

"That's great," he said through the pain. "While you're down there I think I have an ingrown toenail that needs trimmed."

Jack accepted the help Shal'el offered getting up from the metal table. He winced visibly when his feet touched the floor.

"You will have to walk if you are to escape," Shal'el said.

"Oh, I'll walk. You just point me in the right direction." Jack put his weight on his feet and held back a groan.

Shal'el nodded and retrieved his staff weapon. "I will lead you to the ring room. Try to look submissive."

"I don't usually do submissive," Jack said with a smirk. "Guess there's a first time for everything."

He led the way through the door at Shal'el's instruction. Once in the bright hallway, he allowed himself to look the way he felt. His posture slumped and he limped along with his head down. He hoped the ring room wasn't far. He didn't cherish the idea of being on his feet very long. Blood dripped down his sides.

He pushed all thoughts of pain from his mind and tried to focus on where they were headed. A ring room. A very green and empty planet. Home. He closed his eyes and let himself hope for a moment and then he opened them again. He couldn't let himself get distracted. One thing at a time. Right now, that one thing had to be putting one foot in front of the other.

OoOoOoOoO

"Thor," Sam greeted.

The little gray alien nodded his head. "Colonel Carter."

Sam glanced around the bridge of the _Daniel Jackson_ and then back to her host. "What did you need?"

"I believe it is _you_ who would benefit from _my_ help," Thor said.

"Always," she said.

"I will be able to reach the binary system you wish to travel to before your vessels are able to arrive."

Sam nodded with a smile. "Are you offering us a ride?"

"If you wish. I offered your General Landry as much. He suggested a different strategy."

"He wants you to go ahead and scout around before we get there."

"Yes," Thor answered. "My sensors are able to detect objects at distances much greater than your technology allows. I will arrive in the binary system and attempt to locate the planet your father visited. By the time the Earth vessels arrive I will be able to direct you to the correct location and accompany you there."

"I appreciate it."

"We cannot allow Ba'al to gain this technology or the ability to dial the Stargate in the manner he wishes. I believe this task to be the responsibility of both our races."

"Again, thank you." Sam stepped closer to Thor's seat and shook her head. "You could have said all of this to General Landry."

"I did."

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but…"

"Why then did I transport you up here?"

"I was wondering."

"I wished to discuss with you a matter of a — delicate nature. I did not wish our communication to be intercepted, nor do I know your General Landry."

"You didn't think you could trust him?"

"I know neither one way nor the other. Since I have been in orbit I have detected technologies not normally used on Earth."

"What technologies?"

"I am uncertain. Whoever is using them is masking their presence. I only discovered them while running a routine diagnostic of my sensors."

Sam shook her head. "We bring items from off world regularly. At any given time there are several being tested in various places in the country. Is it possible this is what you're picking up?"

Thor tilted his head. "It is possible. As I said, the signals are being masked. While it may prove to be unimportant, I felt it best to make you aware of their existence."

"I appreciate it."

"I will transport you back to the surface."

"I'll see you in about a week, then."

Thor nodded and moved a stone on his control board.

Sam felt herself swept away and before she could blink, reappeared in exactly the same spot she'd left. General Landry, Daniel, and her brother were all still there. The latter looked a little shocked at her sudden departure and return.

She gave him a reassuring smile and turned to the General. "Thor's leaving. He says he'll meet us there."

Landry gave a tight nod and she noticed for the first time the expression on both his and Daniel's faces.

"What's going on?"

"We've just received word from the Alpha Site, Sam," Daniel said. "Jack came through their wormhole about ten minutes ago."

Sam froze and tried to digest the sudden news. "Is he alright?"

"He's being checked out right now in their infirmary. He says there is a spy onboard Ba'al's ship who is about to attempt an assassination."

She pushed aside her immense sense of relief. "That's crazy."

Daniel's eyebrow shot up. "Jack says there's a chance. He didn't say much else."

She sighed. "A chance?" She didn't try to hide her skepticism.

"Right," Daniel said and turned to leave the room. "It would never be that easy."

ooooooooooooooo

So, I've been thinking... if I were to run into Ba'al on the street, I'd probably like him a lot. So what if he's completely self absorbed? He's got charisma and a sense of humor. All else can be forgiven, right?


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: **Working hard on the last chapters! They'll be comin' round the mountain real soon...

**Disclaimer: **These characters aren't mine. If they were they'd be freezing like me in the subzero temperature.

**Warning! **Just because your washer fluid declares itself to be non-freezing, it doesn't mean it won't turn to ice on your windshield in -12 degree weather.

ooooooooooooooo

_"We've just received word from the Alpha Site, Sam," Daniel said. "Jack came through their wormhole about ten minutes ago."_

_Sam froze and tried to digest the sudden news. "Is he alright?"_

_"He's being checked out right now in their infirmary. He says there is a spy onboard Ba'al's ship who is about to attempt an assassination."_

_She pushed aside her immense sense of relief. "That's crazy."_

_Daniel's eyebrow shot up. "Jack says there's a chance. He didn't say much else."_

_She sighed. "A chance?" She didn't try to hide her skepticism._

_"Right," Daniel said and turned to leave the room. "It would never be that easy."_

ooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

Ba'al switched off the communication screen with a smug smile. He loved it when things went his way. He knew how to roll with the punches and turn a bad situation into one that profited him. This time, he seemed to be keeping one step ahead.

His collaborators thought they had him in their pocket. He'd show them he knew how the game was played. All he had to do was sit back and wait for it to happen.

In the meantime, he had a guest that should prove to be quite a bit of fun. His mood nudged up a little just thinking about it.

He stepped away from the platform ready to make his way back down to the interrogation level.

He heard the warning almost too late.

"Shimrota!" One of the guards against the far wall shouted.

Ba'al looked up in time to see his First Prime run through the doorway and fire his staff weapon. Ba'al dodged the blast, but its fiery edge caught him in the shoulder. The impact threw him to the floor. The room dimmed.

He felt his host's pain and fought to keep him conscious while he barked an angry order to his guards who seemed rooted in their places by shock. "Sha'lokma'kor!"

The guards snapped into action, brought out of their stupor by the sound of his voice. They brought their weapons up just as the traitor raised his own again.

The air fried with the heat of multiple blasts.

Ba'al's attacker fell.

The Goa'uld hissed through his teeth as he pushed up from the floor. He waved away the hand offered him with a warning glare and climbed unsteadily to his feet. His hand wrapped around the hilt of the nearest Jaffa's staff weapon before he stepped over to the still figure on the floor. His eyes flashed.

"Di'dak'dida, Shol'va," Ba'al said. His voice was calm and cold though he was sure his anger was evident on his face.

"Not… traitor," his First Prime said. His breath came in wheezing bursts. Blood blossomed from the sizzling holes in his chest and side. "That would… indicate loyalty at… one time. You have never…. been my god."

Ba'al ignored the blood dripping down the arm that hung limply at his side. That this spy had found his way into a position so close to him was unforgivable. He thought back over the years and found no single moment when he could have possibly suspected.

Of course, he let none of his self-recrimination show. "Know that you are the lucky one. You will not live to see the destruction of your kind."

"I die free. Your end is near." He smirked behind his pain.

"I think not." Ba'al took a step back, aimed and fired in fluid succession. The life in the eyes of his would-be assassin faded and then disappeared altogether.

He handed the weapon back to its owner and took several steps to the throne at the center of the room. He sat and finally allowed his guards to tend his shoulder. "If the heathen Jaffa believe they can play me for a fool," he said angrily, "they are sadly mistaken. Contact my other vessels. Tell them it's time we claimed our prize."

OoOoOoOoO

"I walked a mile and a half to the Gate. I can sure as hell make it to the infirmary!" Sam heard Jack's cantankerous voice before she rounded the corner and he came into sight. A relieved smile found its way to her lips before she remembered to school it. If Jack was feeling that ornery, he couldn't be hurt too badly.

The Stargate was still active behind the team escorting him back home from the Alpha Site. Well, escort wasn't really what they were doing. Trying to keep him on the litter they'd used to bring him through the gate was more like it.

She watched Jack swing his legs over the side of the stretcher and lower his feet to the floor. The men carrying him were forced to stop to avoid dropping their irritable passenger.

"General O'Neill, I must insist you settle down." The doctor swept past Sam and approached Jack. It was clear he wasn't going to put up with any of Jack's belly aching. He pointed to the rolling gurney his staff had brought along. "I want you up on that cot and I want you to accept help getting there."

"Doc…" Jack's voice held a tone of warning. He clenched his teeth and attempted to stand under his own power.

Sam noticed the blood on the bottom of the bandages covering his feet and winced. She stepped quickly to his side in case he fell, but didn't lend a hand. He'd be angry if she did, she knew. He glanced up, noticing her for the first time, and she saw his eyes soften slightly. He didn't give anyone else in the room any leeway, though. One Captain was unwise enough to hold out a helping hand and was rewarded with a rather stern look. He backed away immediately, realizing his blunder.

"General," the doctor barked. "You _will_ get up on this gurney. I'm making it an order."

Jack stopped and glared at him. "You doctors are all the same," he said. "Bossy. Power hungry. Just itching to stick things in places they don't belong."

Sam could tell he was giving in. He moved closer to her and threw out an arm around her shoulders; permission for her to help him to the gurney. He smelled of pain—a mixture of sweat and blood, and he looked tired. Dark circles made his eyes look sunken. She tried not to imagine what he'd been through, but it was hard with her own experiences so fresh in her memory.

She wrapped her arm around his waist and helped him move from the litter to the floor. He didn't give her his whole weight, but limped slowly to the waiting gurney. Sam tried not to notice the little bloody footprints he left behind with every step. One of the doctor's staff followed behind to mop them up before they dried.

The doctor stood by patiently while Sam helped Jack pull himself up onto the wheeled cot. He didn't say anything. He just lay back and let the doctor check his pulse.

Sam stepped back out of the way and watched. There was a lot of movement around her, but her focus was on the man laying on the gurney. Too close. Why was it always so damn close with them?

"What are we still waiting around here for?" she heard Jack grumble. "Let's go. The sooner you get me to my cell, the sooner I can go."

"There's no need to exaggerate, General." The doctor motioned for his medical staff to do as Jack said.

Sam stayed behind in the Gate room and watched them wheel Jack away. He'd be a while anyway and she had a role to play here. At least for the time being.

She turned purposely away from the empty doorway and watched the Gate wink out. Then she took in the rest of the staff in the Gate room. "Siler." She approached the tall thin man who stood in front of the emergency kill switch. She needed something to do to pass the time while she avoided the infirmary; it might as well be something useful. "Get ready to do the monthly diagnostic."

Siler nodded and passed Daniel and Teal'c in the doorway on the way up to the control room.

"Sam," Daniel said as he approached her. "Why aren't you headed to the infirmary?"

"I thought I'd give the General a little privacy while the doctor is with him." She shrugged, and her face softened at the looks of understanding in her friends' eyes. "I'll go down in a bit. I thought I'd start the diagnostic before I do, though. We'll be gone at least two weeks and I want to make sure all the monthly check-ups are done before we leave."

Teal'c's eyebrow raised and he crossed his arms.

Daniel looked up at the Jaffa and back to Sam. "Yeah, I'm not buying it either."

Sam sighed. "It's not appropriate for me to be there right now."

"I disagree, Colonel Carter," Teal'c said. "Were it you, the General would…"

The rest of his sentence was cut off by the sudden alarm and the closing of the iris.

Sam looked up through the window at the activity in the control room just as the Gate burst back to life.

"Unscheduled activation," Walter's calm voice called through the PA.

Another look told Sam that Landry was nowhere nearby. She figured he was probably already in the infirmary with Jack.

She heard Walter's voice again through the overhead speakers. "Master Bra'tac's IDC, Colonel."

She nodded and sent him a sign to allow him to open the iris. The sound of metal grinding against metal signaled that he'd done as she asked. The shimmering pool of an exposed wormhole cast the room in aqua blue and a tall figure stepped through the middle onto the waiting metal grate ramp. He came through quickly and didn't slow as he marched down toward them.

Teal'c's eyes lit with admiration and Sam immediately recognized the confident gait.

"Tec'ma'te, Bra'tac," Teal'c said.

Bra'tac didn't wait for pleasantries. He simply nodded acknowledgement and spoke urgently before anyone had even reached him. "The assassination attempt on Ba'al has failed. There are reports that he is massing his resources over Revanna before he makes an attempt to steal his power source."

"Are you sure, Bra'tac?" Sam asked. "The unification of his forces could be an indication that his Jaffa are coming together to determine their next move." Even as it left her mouth, she knew it wasn't true.

Bra'tac shook his head. "One of our operatives witnessed a communication between Ba'al and the captain of his vessel not more than an hour ago."

"How could Ba'al be about to make a run for the power source? He can't possibly know where it is," Daniel said.

"Master Bra'tac," Anise approached them with a polite smile. "It is a pleasure to see you again."

Bra'tac nodded his greeting to the Tok'ra and turned back to Daniel. "I do not know. However, several of the Free Jaffa hidden amongst Ba'al's armies have reported in to warn the council of his desire to act."

"How soon before we are ready to leave, Colonel Carter?" Teal'c asked.

"The Prometheus is ready, but the Daedalus won't be fully prepared until tomorrow. If we rush it, it's possible it could go tonight."

Bra'tac's lips pursed. "It will have to be soon enough."

"The Tok'ra will be accompanying your vessels," Anise told them.

"The Tok'ra are what?" Daniel asked.

"Does General Landry know about this?" Sam knew she should have expected it.

"I have been looking for him so I could inform him of my council's decision." Anise's head tilted. "Is there a problem?"

Sam shook her head. "No. I don't see why there would be a problem, when we only did all of the work to find the possible location of the planet and now the Tok'ra want to sweep in under our feet." She frowned. "And I'm sure they have every intention of sharing whatever it is we find, right?"

"I am unaware of any future plans, Colonel Carter. I merely serve as messenger."

"I believe you will find the General in the infirmary," Teal'c said.

Anise bowed respectfully and left.

Daniel shook his head and watched her go. "I don't like it."

"What's not to like?" Sam pursed her lips and her eyes narrowed. "Thor mentioned some kind of technology putting off energy in orbit. I wonder if she's been speaking with the Tok'ra on the side."

"Bypassing the SGC protocols for contact..." Teal'c said.

"And any listening ears." Sam nodded.

"You think she's still not telling us everything." Daniel said.

"Don't you?"

"I do not believe I will trust the Tok'ra's presence on this mission," Teal'c said.

Bra'tac snorted. "It is near impossible to predict their actions."

"I believe it may be necessary to protect our findings from them as well as from Ba'al."

Sam nodded at Teal'c. "You may be right."

Bra'tac smiled. "I may have the means to help," he said.

OoOoOoOoO

"I am assuming our Tok'ra friend will be able to mend the General's feet so I numbed and wrapped them to make him more comfortable until she gets around to it," the doctor reported. "Now that we've figured out what to look for in his blood, we'll be able to determine if he carries the same marker we found in Colonel Carter. I'll give him the neutralizer concoction just to be on the safe side since I'm assuming he'll be needed on the upcoming mission."

Jack sat up grumpily on his bed in the infirmary. "I'm right here," he barked. "You don't need to talk to the General as if I'm some sniveling kid and he's my daddy." He gestured to Landry, who stood beside his bed. Despite the wonderful numbing agent the doctor had slathered all over his feet, he still couldn't quite push past his rotten mood.

"It's not all that bad, Jack. At least you were able to get away fairly easily," Landry said with a smirk. Jack suspected somewhere in that head, Hank was quite amused at the sight of his friend laying on a hospital bed in a paper thin gown with his overly large and swollen feet wrapped up like a Christmas present.

"That's beside the point," Jack said. He crossed his arms in front of him. "The Jaffa are off their collective rockers if they think one man throwing his life away is going to get them anywhere."

"You are correct, O'Neill."

Jack looked up into the doorway. Bra'tac entered, SG-1 and Anise behind him. Jack gave a little tug at the hem of his hospital gown and wished for a blanket.

Sam must have read his mind because she stole one off a cot as she passed it and handed it over when she reached him. Their eyes met and he sent her silent thanks. Her lips twitched in acknowledgement before she purposefully drew her attention to Bra'tac.

"Ba'al's First Prime has failed and I fear his actions may have worsened the situation."

Jack didn't doubt it. "How so?"

Sam filled him in.

"Can he do that?" Jack asked. "He couldn't have found out. So what? He's just taking a stab in the dark?"

Sam's expression grew pensive. "I don't think so, sir."

Jack had seen that look on her face before. "Do tell."

She shrugged. "I don't see Ba'al making this kind of a move unless he's sure."

"He's been chasing our butts all across the galaxy. When did he find time to…?" Jack trailed off. He remembered something. "When I was with Ba'al, his First Prime mentioned an operative in the field."

"I would imagine he's got several people out looking for the whereabouts of the power source," Daniel said. He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

Jack shook his head. "No. I got the impression this was someone I wasn't supposed to know about. At first I thought the First Prime was purposely being cryptic so he wouldn't spill any secrets in front of his boss. Now that I think about it, he was probably trying to drop me a hint."

"You believe he was speaking in reference to a spy," Anise said.

Jack nodded. "Though why he didn't just come right out and say it once we were alone, I don't know."

"Maybe his mind was on the suicide run he was about to attempt," Daniel said.

"I don't know." Sam's features tightened as she took on a thoughtful stance. She picked up a pen off the clipboard that lay on the tray next to the bed and absently tapped it against the palm of her hand. "I guess there are a number of places he could have planted a spy." She turned to General Landry. "General, who's been in the know since we were taken by Ba'al?"

Landry pursed his lips as he thought. "The Jaffa. The Tok'ra. Us." His eyes met hers again. "And Ba'al."

"I think we can be pretty confident that none of us would spy for the other team," Daniel said.

"Indeed," Teal'c said with a nod.

"It would be easy for one to hide within the ranks of either the Jaffa or the Tok'ra," Jack said.

"If there were a spy, why then would Ba'al bother to place a tracking marker in Colonel Carter's blood?" Anise asked.

Sam's brow wrinkled. "Maybe he doesn't completely trust his spy and wants to keep track of my movements to make sure he stays in the loop."

"Or perhaps he believes its discovery would prevent us from suspecting he has another method of monitoring our movements," Teal'c offered.

"A decoy," Landry said.

"Then why bother following us at all?" Daniel asked. "It doesn't make sense for Ba'al to go to all that trouble trying to grab Sam again."

"It does if he doesn't trust his spy," Sam said.

"Or if he thinks we're not moving quickly enough," Jack added.

"Ba'al appears and suddenly we feel like it's a race." Daniel nodded. "How many of you are getting the feeling we weren't quite as lucky in our escape from his Ha'tak as we thought we were?"

"I hate that guy," Jack blurted. He looked around at the everyone who stopped and turned to face him. He shrugged. "What? You don't?"

"All this means is that now it's a foot race," Daniel continued.

"Thor has already gone," Teal'c said. "Tau'ri vessels can not hope to be quick enough to beat a Ha'tak."

"It may be some time before Ba'al's forces will be ready to leave Revanna. There may yet be time," Bra'tac said.

Sam nodded in agreement. "Generals, it goes without saying that we need to get to that planet before Ba'al does. When can the--"

"The Daedalus will be ready to go in four hours or you'll go without her," Landry interrupted. He turned to Anise. "And I believe the General here is in need of your medical expertise, young lady." He patted Jack's leg before leaving, Jack presumed, to make sure the people working on the Daedalus were aware of what he'd just promised. Had anyone else patted his leg like that, he would have thought the action to be annoyingly condescending. In Hank's case, he knew it to be a simple show of support.

The doctor announced that he'd accompany Anise down to storage to retrieve the healing device _once again_. Jack tried not to glare as they left.

"I believe we should be going as well," Bra'tac said.

"We?"

"Teal'c is going with Bra'tac for a little while," Daniel explained to Jack. "They'll meet up with us en route."

"Oh." Jack hated being out of the loop, but around this crowd he often felt like he was missing something. "Happy hunting?" he guessed.

Teal'c smiled and bowed. "In a manner of speaking, O'Neill."

"I'm gonna go see them off and then make sure I'm packed," Daniel said.

Sam smiled at the three of them before they left, then turned back to Jack.

Alone at last, he thought.

She looked like she was thinking the same thing. She didn't say anything. He could just read her better than he could read anyone else. Right now, without the audience, her mind seemed to be taking a dark turn. He could practically hear the gears turning.

He gazed back at her, thinking she looked tired. Her eyes were framed by dark circles, her makeup looked hastily applied, her hair resembled his at the moment, and her mouth turned down in a slight frown. The frown bothered him more than anything.

He reached out his hand and she took it; their fingers intertwined. Silence. Sam's eyes fell to their hands and he saw that her shoulders were tense.

Finally, she spoke. "We couldn't even look for you." The air seemed to stutter in her chest at the confession. Her eyes looked up and met his. He read the misery in them.

He knew what he wanted—knew what she needed. He looked around and saw that they were still alone. "C'mere," he said quietly.

Reluctantly at first, but then with more confidence, she settled next to him and shifted her position so she could leaned in and tuck her head into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and settled back against the elevated bed. Her quiet sigh was warm through the thin paper gown he wore.

One of these days, he swore, they'd be able to do this with other people in the room.

oooooooooooooo

I'm a human popsicle!


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: **It's been a lot of fun researching things for the last few chapters. I can't wait to bring it all to a close. Hang on tight because it's all action packed from here!

**Disclaimer: **The characters aren't mine. I feel I've spent so much time with them, though, that I'd like to adopt them.

**Warning! **Toe socks are only fun if you don't wear them inside shoes.

ooooooooooooooo

_Finally, she spoke. "We couldn't even look for you." The air seemed to stutter in her chest at the confession. Her eyes looked up and met his. He read the misery in them._

_He knew what he wanted—knew what she needed. He looked around and saw that they were still alone. "C'mere," he said quietly._

_Reluctantly at first, but then with more confidence, she settled next to him and shifted her position so she could leaned in and tuck her head into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and settled back against the elevated bed. Her quiet sigh was warm through the thin paper gown he wore._

_One of these days, he swore, they'd be able to do this with other people in the room._

ooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Thirty**

Sam sat and watched the stars streak past the large windows in the mess of the Prometheus. She'd spent a lot of time in space, but not so much that it didn't still capture her attention. It wasn't lost on her that were it not for the Stargate and their collaboration with the Asgard and the Tok'ra, she'd still be sitting in some Air Force lab on Earth hoping to see man walk on Mars in her lifetime.

Her last conversation with Mark before she'd been beamed aboard had been strained. He understood why the mission was important, but he couldn't understand why Sam had to be the one to go. He'd never understood why their dad had put the job first and in his mind, this was Sam doing the exact same thing.

"You have a family, Sam," he'd said. "You have two beautiful nieces who just lost their grandpa. What would I tell them if _you_ didn't come back?"

Sam shook her head. "The same thing you would have told them three days ago."

He pursed his lips. "Three days ago I thought you were working on a project that involved deep space telemetry."

"I know." Sam lowered her eyes, allowing herself a little guilt. "It's not as if I can just stay home, Mark. Even though General O'Neill is taking over the mission, I'm still in command of SG-1."

"Let General O'Neill do that, too. He seems the type." His eyes darkened.

"And what exactly _is_ the type?" Her voice grew hard.

Mark's hand rubbed across his eyes in frustration. "I don't know, Sam. Hard. Cold. Emotionless."

Sam knew Jack was none of those things. "Who's to say I'm not?"

"Sam…"

"No, Mark. What you don't seem to understand is that even if I could get out of this mission, there's no way in hell I would choose to." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "This is what I do. Get over it or don't, but I can't add your approval to my very long list of concerns."

He stood back and looked at her then. Really looked. She could feel his eyes boring into hers. The longer he stood there, the darker his mood grew.

"You've made your choice, Sam," he finally said with a sigh. "And it's your life. I don't approve of the direction you've taken it, but I'm not going to fight you on it. This family's already had way more angry words said than it ever should have." He shook his head. "I just hope they don't give me your flag one day to put up in the closet next to dad's."

"It would be in good company," she said. Her anger dissipated in an instant.

His eyes lowered to the floor. "Yeah, well."

"I love you, Mark." Sam tilted her head and bent over so she could meet his down-turned gaze.

He smiled sadly and stepped forward to wrap his arms around her. "I love you too, Sam. Never doubt that."

"I'll see you when I get back. I'll take some time and come see the girls."

"In my newly remodeled house." She could hear the satisfaction those words brought. He pulled away and laid his hands on her shoulders.

She smiled back. "The Air Force is going to cover it, right?"

He nodded. "And they've found a pretty nice rental for the family while we wait for it to be finished." His gaze lifted to the ceiling in feigned nostalgia. "And I'm really going to miss the flat-screen plasma TV with surround sound in the master bedroom while I'm gone."

"You didn't have a flat-screen…"

He winked. "Sure I did," he said.

He'd hugged her again and left to catch his flight back to San Diego. She'd boarded the Prometheus only a half hour later.

The view outside the window looked like it almost belonged on a television screen. She knew there were a vast number of stars streaking by, so fast she couldn't make out even a single shape… like multicolored ribbons stretched out in the wind. It was beautiful.

"What's the smile for?" Daniel's voice behind her made her jump.

Sam turned in her seat to look at him. "Nothing," she said. "Just remembered a joke I heard."

Daniel gave her a knowing look. "Must have been some joke." He sat in the chair beside her.

"Has Colonel Pendergast made contact with Thor yet?"

Daniel shook his head. "Still no word. We should be hearing something soon, though. We're almost to the rendezvous location."

Sam stretched. "Nine days stuck inside a dark ship… I don't know. For a while there everything was go, go, go."

"You have to admit the down time has been pretty nice," Daniel said. He picked up the fork from her plate of half-eaten spaghetti and stole a bite. His nose crinkled and the fork clanked back against the metal dish. "Ugh! I can't get used to the food, though."

"Stop your whining, Daniel. Food is food." Jack approached and threw himself down into the chair opposite Sam.

"This coming from the guy who won't drink a beer unless it's got a green label." Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Ah," Jack said with a slight grin and held up his finger. "But it is the fifth food group."

Sam chuckled. "Right behind donuts and fruit loops, sir?"

Jack pretended to look hurt. "Et tu, Carter?" He reached out and stole his own bite of her food. "Hey, T." He said with a full mouth to their teammate who sat down beside him, back straight. He placed a tray piled high with spaghetti on the table in front of him.

"O'Neill," the Jaffa greeted, and then dug in to his own meal.

"Where's Bra'tac?" Sam asked. It had been three days since they'd stopped to pick up the two from the Stargate on P4X-339. After declaring their mission a success, the two Jaffa had stayed pretty much to themselves.

"He desired to contact Rak'nor," Teal'c answered.

"Everything alright?" Jack asked.

Teal'c nodded. "He merely wished to discover what progress has been made." He took another large bite.

"Hopefully they've been able to find what they needed. We should be arriving soon," Jack said. "If there's anywhere to arrive to. And I stress the _if_."

"It'll be there, Jack."

"And how can you be so sure, Daniel? I read the report you and Carter spun to Landry, and I'll tell ya… not too convincing."

"That's because you didn't get to see our pitch," Daniel said. He stole another bite from Sam's plate with his fingers.

"We were very convincing, sir," Sam said innocently.

Jack smirked. "I'm sure you were."

"General O'Neill and SG-1 to the bridge." Sam almost jumped at the call through the ship's speaker system. All four sets of eyes met across the table.

"Guess vacation's over," Jack said. His voice held a trace of excitement. Sam knew he had to be itching from the inactivity.

They made their way quickly to the bridge, leaving their food unfinished on the table.

Colonel Pendergast looked up from his seat in the center of the room when they entered. "Thor's relayed a set of coordinates. Says it looks promising. We're already en route," he said.

"Did he say anything else?" Sam asked.

She had a hard time reading whether the Colonel's answering smile was out of amusement or frustration. She'd known him longer than the rest of SG-1, but not long enough to be able to read him all the time. "Just that he wanted to speak directly to you and General O'Neill."

"Go ahead, then," Jack said.

The Colonel directed them to a screen at the wall behind his chair. It winked on and Thor's face filled the screen.

"Thor, buddy!" Jack said.

Sam thought the greeting would grow old if he did it every time he saw her. Thor didn't seem to mind, though.

Thor blinked. "It is good to see you well, O'Neill."

Jack dismissed the words with a wave.

"Did Colonel Pendergast relay the information I sent?"

Sam nodded. "There wasn't much to relay, though."

"I did not expect to find a planet here, but when I arrived, it did not take long to discover its presence."

"Have you been able to confirm if it's the planet my dad referenced in his files?"

"I do not believe it to be possible. The atmosphere is composed primarily of carbon dioxide and sulfur. The surface is widely volcanic. I do believe, however, that the orbiting moon matches the descriptions of the place your father mentioned."

"How so?" Jack asked.

Thor blinked again and Sam saw him moving his arm as he adjusted a stone on his panel. "There is an artificial atmosphere and vegetation."

"That doesn't mean it's the right--" Jack said.

"And my sensors have detected the wreckage of a small craft on the surface."

"Oh." Jack cleared his throat. "Don't suppose you found a really big red X with a sign that says 'power source here,' did ya?"

Thor didn't get the joke. "I did not," he said. "My readings from the surface are jumbled."

"Any sign of Ba'al yet?" Sam asked.

"None. However, I cannot imagine that it would have taken him this long to amass his armies."

"They need travel time, too," Daniel said.

"Indeed." Teal'c nodded his agreement.

"So we may not have much time," Jack said.

Pendergast must have been eavesdropping. "A little over an hour," he said.

Jack pursed his lips. "That's not a lot of time." He turned his attention back to Thor. "You said the atmosphere is viable?"

"It will not be the most pleasant of places for humans, O'Neill, but it is capable of sustaining life."

Sam thought through all the supplies they'd brought along, not knowing what kind of place they'd end up. She knew there was everything from desert garb, to deep sea diving gear, to full space walk suits. "We'll know more when we get there," she said.

Thor nodded.

They said their farewells and then Jack called for the SG teams to assemble in one of the F-302 bays.

A short while later they were back on the bridge waiting for word on the small moon that had come into visual range.

"There's a shield completely surrounding the moon's surface," Major Womack reported. The bridge officer's eyes quickly assessed the information coming up on the screen in front of her. "It's holding, but the artificial atmosphere inside the bubble has thinned. It is capable of sustaining life, but the teams will want to carry oxygen."

Sam nodded. "Anything else?"

"There's a lot less gravity than you're used to."

"Are we talking less like the moon?" Jack asked. Sam could tell from the look on his face the minute Womack had mentioned oxygen that he was already beginning to dislike the mission.

The Major smiled at his tone. "Not that bad, sir. You'll just have a little extra hop to your step is all."

"I can handle that," he said.

"No large bodies of water. It appears to be one continent," she continued. Her face lit as a new set of data hit her screen. "I'm detecting a faint energy signature near the northern pole. It appears to be a ring platform."

"That's good news," Sam said. "Contact the lead Tok'ra vessel and let them know we're ringing down. I have a feeling Anise will want to join us."

"Yes, ma'am," Womack said. Her fingers immediately flew across the keyboard in front of her.

"Keep us informed," Jack said. He nodded to Carter, who followed him to the door. "Up to date," he continued. "Apprised. In the know."

OoOoOoOoO

Jack's eyes took a second to adjust to the bright sky as the rings lifted back into the sky after they deposited himself, SG-1, and Bra'tac onto the moon's surface.

Carter immediately signaled for her team to deploy away from the platform in a standard circle formation, their backs to each other as they stepped in different directions, guns raised.

His steps had a little extra bounce in them. It was a strange sensation he didn't think he liked. It wasn't enough to need the magnetic boots of a space suit, but it did make him feel a little off.

They were in some sort of clearing. Around the perimeter not far away, trees stood tall and thin. Their branches were covered in yellow leaves and reached up to the sky at a much sharper angle than the ones on Earth. Thick brush and vines twisted up and around the trunks, also thin and tall. The orange grass beneath their feet was soft. It didn't crinkle under his weight as he'd expected.

"Carter?" he asked. His voice sounded funny under the small oxygen mask he wore. Each of them carried a lightweight tank on their back to supplement the limited supply in the air.

She seemed to instinctively know what he was asking about. "The hotter sun sets off a different type of light wave," she said. "It causes the plants to absorb more blue and ultra-violet light, turning them different shades of yellow or orange instead of green. It also explains the short supply of oxygen. Photosynthesis as we know it wouldn't occur without…"

"Carter!"

She sighed. "The grass is fresh, sir, just a different color."

Jack threw her a look over his shoulder that he was sure she couldn't see and continued to move closer to the edge of the clearing.

The sound of the rings and a flash of light behind them announced the arrival of Colonel Reynolds and SG-3. They took up SG-1's positions while the flagship team circled around to stand with Jack.

"Interesting," he heard Reynolds say through his mask.

"Something to do with waves and taking pictures of oxygen," Jack said. He turned in time to see Carter roll her eyes.

The rest of SG-3 fanned out before the rings deposited SG-15, then SGs seven and five. Anise followed, her lips pursed and face unreadable. Out of all the Tok'ra he'd met, she was the one who made him the most uncomfortable. Maybe it was the way she'd kissed him after almost getting him killed—or maybe it was that way down deep he liked her. Not the way he liked Carter, mind you, but she seemed nice enough.

That like amounted to a certain level of trust. And to trust a Tok'ra who wasn't Jacob made him incredibly nervous. Kind of like when he'd let Lizzie Montig talk him into smoking weed behind the gym in seventh grade. He knew it was going to come back to bite him, but he did it anyway.

"Majors," Carter said. "Secure the ring platform. Reynolds… your team is with us."

Jack heard a chorus of "ma'ams" and stepped into the glade.

Carter made her way to his side and they both walked ahead of the group. She held a small device about the size of a radio. A small needle wagged back and forth inside the faceplate. "There's something fairly large this way," she said and pointed through the undergrowth to the right. "It's got a slight electromagnetic charge."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning it's been in space, sir."

Jack nodded. "That way we go, then."

They adjusted their direction. The ground was littered with oddly colored leaves, dirt and patches of grass. He had to push aside the low hanging branches of a paper-thin tree. He held them back until Teal'c stepped in to take his place. The plants were so strange.

"It's interesting," Daniel said. "We've studied the effect of gravity on the growth of plant life many times in the space program, but I've never heard of results like this."

"Gravity's pull plays a very specific role in plant development on Earth," Anise said. Jack didn't know why it bothered him that she knew such things. She was a scientist, after all. "It affects the way the roots grow; the manner in which the appendages take shape. Here, where its pull is less, the plants seem to have reached upward against its force."

"Where do they get their water? We didn't register any real sources from Prometheus and with the shield in place, I can't see how the moon could see any real weather," Daniel asked.

"I was not able to scan the planet adequately through the shield, Dr. Jackson," she said. "However, I do believe that since much of the environment appears to have been terra-formed and even the atmosphere itself is manmade, there must also be some manufactured method of sustaining the plant life."

"Makes sense," Carter admitted. Jack watched her correct their direction slightly and followed.

"Call me simple," Reynolds said, "but I don't really care where the plants and the rain come from. As long as they make oxygen and look pretty, I'm just fine."

"You're a man after my own heart, Reynolds," Jack said without turning.

"I always thought so, sir." Jack heard the smile in Reynolds's voice.

Carter stopped suddenly and held up her fist at an angle. The chatter immediately died down. She pointed two fingers to her eyes and then out through the bushes in front of them.

Jack nodded and stepped soundlessly forward. She stayed alongside him and they left the rest behind. A few hundred feet ahead Jack saw a sharp bright light… like sunlight reflected off a mirror. There was no sign of life anywhere. He let his shoulders relax.

He followed Carter the rest of the way to the object. His surprised whistle filled the silent jungle. "Guess we know we're in the right place."

The Tel'tak looked like it had seen better days. Its nose disappeared into the soft ground; blackened metal around the angled door hinted at some pretty severe fire damage. It was covered with foliage that had embraced it as a member of the forest. It had obviously been there a while.

Carter stepped forward and touched the metal almost reverently. "It has to be his," she said.

Jack pressed a button on the radio attached to his vest at the shoulder. "Come on up, guys," he said. His eyes were still on Carter. She ran her fingers along the side of the vessel, brushing the dirt and plants away like she would uncover a priceless artifact.

"It is amazing anyone walked away from this," Bra'tac said as he laid eyes on the devastated ship for the first time.

"From what I have read," Anise said, "the occupants almost did not."

Jack wasn't listening. "Carter."

Her eyes met his.

"Where to?"

She shook her head as if to clear it and looked again at her device. Her expression clouded and her brow creased. "I'm sorry, sir. This isn't what I was reading." She nodded in the direction over his shoulder. "There's something else. Something bigger."

"Something bigger?" Reynolds asked. "How do you know?"

She shrugged. "If I'm getting readings from it while standing this close to the ship, it's got to be giving off more energy than this is." She brushed past Jack and once again led the way.

The team's footsteps were light and they kept their weapons at the ready even though Jack knew they were alone on the moon.

Less than ten minutes later they stood at the foot of a large archway. It had sprung up without warning save the escalated readings from Carter's handheld device.

Daniel stepped forward, his eyes teeming with excitement. Jack knew he lived for things like this.

"Reynolds," Carter said. "Take SG-3 and secure the perimeter."

Reynolds nodded. He barked out the order and the team disappeared back into the jungle.

Jack turned back to their discovery. There were etchings all along the surface of the metal archway as well as the door nestled neatly inside. He didn't know what kind of structure the door led into. The thick vegetation hid it well. The arch was the only part visible and it was overgrown to the point they'd have to cut away the yellow plants just to gain entrance.

They worked together to remove what they could. Daniel stayed rooted in his spot in front of the door. "It's written in Ancient," he said. He ran his fingers along the etchings.

"Can you read it?" Jack had taken out his knife to hack away at the plants on the left side where a particularly large section of writing was buried.

Daniel nodded. "Here lies Aisa. Destroyer of Worlds." He looked up, his face beaming. "We've found it."

OoOoOoOoO

"We've secured the ring platform," Major Pierce reported. "SGs one and three went off into the trees about forty-five minutes ago. I heard a little chatter about fifteen minutes ago, but there's been silence since."

Colonel Pendergast nodded, though he knew the Major couldn't see him. "They're not scheduled to report in for another twenty. Hold where you are. There's no telling when Ba'al will show up."

"Yes, sir," Pierce said. The radio went silent and Pendergast turned his attention back to his ship. His head itched. It always did that when something big was about to happen. He didn't like that it was happening now. It meant the winds were about to change and he didn't have any way to stop them.

A small light on his bridge technician's panel lit up and a quiet alarm sounded.

"Major?"

"It's a proximity alert, sir," Major Grant reported. Her fingers flew quickly over the keyboard. "Several ships have just appeared on our sensors." Her eyes flit across the screen. "Four Ha'tak." She looked back at him over her shoulder. "It's Ba'al, sir."

oooooooooooooo

For those of you in the snow out there or travelling to see loved ones for the holiday-- stay safe out there.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: **I haven't thanked the wonderful sbz in a while for her amazing work as my beta reader. If only I could clone her and have her help on my other writing...

**Disclaimer: **They're not mine. I'm just playing.

**Warning! **If you lay down with dogs, you'll wake up with flees.

oooooooooooooooooo

_"We've secured the ring platform," Major Pierce reported. "SGs one and three went off into the trees about forty-five minutes ago. I heard a little chatter about fifteen minutes ago, but there's been silence since."_

_Colonel Pendergast nodded, though he knew the Major couldn't see him. "They're not scheduled to report in for another twenty. Hold where you are. There's no telling when Ba'al will show up."_

_"Yes, sir," Pierce said. The radio went silent and Pendergast turned his attention back to his ship. His head itched. It always did that when something big was about to happen. He didn't like that it was happening now. It meant the winds were about to change and he didn't have any way to stop them._

_A small light on his bridge technician's panel lit up and a quiet alarm sounded._

_"Major?"_

_"It's a proximity alert, sir," Major Grant reported. Her fingers flew quickly over the keyboard. "Several ships have just appeared on our sensors." Her eyes flit across the screen. "Four Ha'tak." She looked back at him over her shoulder. "It's Ba'al, sir."_

oooooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Thirty One**

"He seems to be scanning the planet," Major Grant said.

"We'd better warn the teams they may have company soon. It won't take Ba'al long to find the rings." The major nodded and did what Pendergast asked.

Pendergast shook his head. Four Ha'taks would put up a pretty strong fight, but he was confident that with Thor beside them, the vessels would prefer not to start shooting.

He was wrong.

"Sir, the largest Ha'tak is targeting the Daedalus."

"Patch me through to Colonel Caldwell," Pendergast said.

"Ha'tak vessel." Thor's voice came through their radios even though they hadn't switched them on. "Any act of aggression toward the Tau'ri or Tok'ra vessels accompanying me will be considered an act of aggression towards the Asgard. This vessel is superior to your own. I recommend you stand down your weapons."

Their answer came quickly. The Ha'tak vessel let loose a barrage of energy blasts that headed straight for not the Daedalus, but the Daniel Jackson.

OoOoOoOoO

"Did you hear that, folks?" Jack asked. "Ba'al's on his way. Daniel, are we going to get in there or not?"

Daniel threw him an annoyed look and then turned back to the archway he studied. "It's not that easy, Jack." He held a small book in is hands and he referred to it again briefly. "It says the tomb of Aisa has been safeguarded against evil." He pointed to a section of the writing on the arch and began reading from it. "Should evil not turn back, it will be destroyed within."

"No problems, then," Jack said. "I'm not evil." He turned to Carter. "Are you evil?"

She shook her head.

"Carter's not evil. Teal'c and Bra'tac aren't evil." He glanced at Anise and pointedly moved on. "Daniel, it might be a good idea if you stay back, though."

"Very funny, Jack."

"Just open the door, Daniel."

Daniel pursed his lips and looked to Carter.

She smiled at him and nodded her head.

Jack noticed the small interaction. "What? My orders aren't good enough for you now?"

"It appears as if the door is on a retractable track," Anise said.

Carter nodded and stepped up to the door. "So there must be a switch somewhere." Her hands skimmed the metal. Jack watched her fingers carefully slide across each indentation they encountered with purpose.

"Just a sec, Sam." Daniel nudged her out of the way. "If I'm reading this right," he referred to the lettering she'd been searching, "I just need to…"

He touched the text in various places and stepped back. A loud grinding sound came from the door and its edges moved apart from the center revealing a long staircase that led down underground. He smiled with satisfaction.

"Piece of cake."

"We'll see," Jack said. He peeked into the dark opening with trepidation. He couldn't see the bottom of the stairs, so for all he knew, they went on forever.

"Heads up, guys," Carter said. She raised her weapon to the ready and moved past Daniel to take the lead. "If Daniel's right, we may encounter some things that go bump."

The team nodded. Bra'tac and Anise appeared confused, but readied themselves without a word. Jack came up beside Sam to lead and together they stepped into the darkness.

OoOoOoOoO

Colonel Caldwell had his crew scrambling the second the Ha'tak settled its sights on the Daedalus. His fingers gripped the arms of his chair as he barked out orders.

"Shields," he said.

"They're up, sir," Captain Kleinman said. "And at maximum."

"Hold this position and wait for it," Caldwell ordered.

His pilot, Major Cooper, nodded and gave a crisp "Yes sir."

"Get the pilots to the F-302 bay. We may need them."

"Sir."

He watched his people carry out his orders with satisfaction. Already a well oiled machine.

The first blast took them by surprise.

"The Ha'tak is firing at Thor, sir," Kleinman said.

"Why would they do that?"

"Direct hit. Thor's shields diffused the blast, but seem to have weakened." Cooper said.

"There's ring activity, sir," Major Marks said from behind him. "The lead Ha'tak just sent someone down to the planet."

"The other three are taking aim," Kleinman's voice remained calm as his fingers flew over his panel. "Prometheus, the lead Tok'ra vessel, and us, sir."

"Brace for impact." Caldwell's grip on his chair tightened just before the first blast slammed through the Daedalus's shields and landed a direct hit.

OoOoOoOoO

"We're heading back to you to help secure the ring platform," Colonel Reynolds's voice said through the radio on Pierce's shoulder. He'd gotten used to the way everyone sounded through the oxygen masks they all wore.

"Agreed. We have to give SG-1 time to do whatever it is they're going to do. What's your ETA?"

"Not long. We've already set out. Maybe ten minutes."

Pierce nodded at no one in particular and motioned for his men, who had just finished setting their charges, to find cover and wait. "See ya when you get here." He let go of the radio and called out. "We may have company coming. Be ready." He stepped through the canopy at the edge of the clearing and hunkered down next to Taft. The Captain was a fairly new addition to the team and hadn't seen much action yet. Pierce had no doubt in Taft's capabilities, though. He'd already proven himself to be intelligent and fearless—two qualities Pierce could admire.

Across the other side of the clearing he saw a bit of movement as Major Harper and the rest of SG-5 took their defensive positions. SG-7 had settled in flanking both the right and left sides. They had the clearing completely covered.

"Alright, boys and girls," he heard Harper's voice come through the radio. "According to SG-1, these baddies may be dressed to kill masquerading as something they're not while some will be exactly what they claim to be. SG-7, set your weapons to Kull disruptors. The rest of us need to stick with real bullets."

The rings activated with a display of bright light. When the flash faded five drones stood in a circle, their beady eyes shining out toward the line of trees around them. Pierce felt his heart jump at the sight of them. He really hated drones. And he wasn't ashamed to admit they scared the shit out of him.

Immediately, the drones were hit by the disruptors from the right and the left. Only one fell. The rest reacted quickly. They crouched into defensive positions and rushed out away from the platform. They fired their arm blasters wildly into the trees.

Pierce gave the signal and his team opened fire. The bullets ricocheted off the black armor, but managed to fell another enemy. SG-5 joined in the fray and soon the clearing was filled with the sounds of battle.

Another bright flash deposited five more drones.

"Keep em in the clearing, folks," Pierce yelled into his radio. "SG-1 is depending on us."

OoOoOoOoO

The walls and steps were metal. Jack hadn't expected that. The structure they'd found on Fensalir, while technologically advanced, had still utilized the planet's natural resources in its construction. The underground construction had been stone—right down to the disappearing walls.

"There's something giving off quite a bit of energy down here," Carter said. She'd declared it safe to remove their masks when she'd noticed on her device that the oxygen levels inside the structure were higher than they were on the surface.

He moved his weapon so he could see her in its light. Her face was thoughtful as she referred to the device that was once again in her left hand while her other held firmly on to her weapon.

"Does that thing say how long these stairs are going to keep going?" Jack asked.

"Already complaining, Jack?" Daniel asked. "We've only been on them ten minutes."

"Exactly. Ten minutes. Stairs. What stairway takes more than ten minutes to go down?"

"Apparently this one, O'Neill." Jack could hear the smile in Teal'c's voice.

Anise's voice made it impossible for Jack to respond. "I believe I see the end."

She was right. Jack could see a definite straightening of the path a few hundred feet down. Anise's light bounced against the top arch of the new hallway.

"That's more like it."

"The readings get stronger the farther down we go."

"That is a good sign," Bra'tac said.

She nodded. "As long as it's not the 'enactor of our deaths' the door back there spoke about, I'd have to agree."

Jack chuckled. "Aw, come on, Carter. A little prediction of doom and destruction isn't enough to make you nervous, is it?"

Her eyes shifted to him. "You'd better believe it makes me nervous, sir."

"Nice to see you haven't completely lost your sense of self preservation," he said.

"Lost it? No." She smiled. "I just tend to ignore it most of the time."

"Self sacrifice is oftentimes the necessary path of action," Anise said. "The Tok'ra have believed from the beginning that in order to defeat the Goa'uld, our people would have to be willing to give their lives."

"The Free Jaffa Nation was created under the same code," Bra'tac said proudly.

"Ah," Jack said, "but the Jaffa don't carry poison apples along on every mission just itching to off themselves."

"No. We would fight to the death."

Teal'c frowned. "The Tok'ra and the Jaffa differ in many ways. Yet we still strive to achieve the same goal."

"Teal'c the politician," Jack said with a smile. "I like it."

They came to the end of the staircase and sent their lights into the hallway. The beams disappeared into the darkness that, again, to Jack seemed endless.

"Anyone else getting a weird feeling?"

"I hear those come more frequently with old age, Jack."

"It is probably because we are underground, O'Neill," Bra'tac said. "I, too, grow unsettled when I am trapped without a means of escape."

Jack nodded and hoped that was all it was.

"Let's keep moving," Carter said. She pushed forward into the hallway ahead of the rest. Jack followed behind her with the rest coming after him. Their footsteps echoed on the metal floor and bounced around the tight space. Before long, they came to an intersection. They all stopped and looked to Carter.

She glanced down at the device and pointed to the right. "That way."

The group took the turn and moved deeper into the structure, their lights shining ahead. It all looked the same to Jack. Grey, grey, and more grey.

OoOoOoOoO

"Daedalus took a direct hit from the lead Ha'tak," Major Grant reported. "It was like the shields weren't even there."

"How is that possible?" Pendergast asked.

"Our shields are holding," Captain Womack said behind him. "As are the shields of the lead Tok'ra vessel."

"We're receiving a transmission from Thor, sir."

Pendergast nodded and moved to a screen. "Put him through."

Thor's face appeared in the small square set in the panel.

"Colonel Pendergast," Thor said in greeting.

"What's going on, Thor?"

"It appears Ba'al has managed to modify his Ha'tak's weapons."

"We kind of figured that one out on our own." Pendergast said.

Thor nodded. "He most likely stole the technology from Anubis." His eyes lowered in regret. "Who, unfortunately, stole it from me."

"So it's Asgard weaponry?"

"Yes."

"Is there a way to make our shields effective?"

Thor's head tilted. "I am afraid there is not. I have managed to adapt my shields as best I can to better defend the Daniel Jackson, but I do not believe your vessels have the required technology to do so. I will attempt to protect you as best I can."

"Our shields are holding."

"I believe only the lead vessel has been modified. The other three appear to have traditional Goa'uld weapons. They do, however, seem to be hiding within the cover of the lead Ha'tak's shields."

Pendergast felt the impact of another blast against their shields. He gripped the panel in front of him so he could stay on his feet.

"Shields are holding," Womack said.

"So we won't be able to shoot at any of them?" Pendergast asked Thor.

"You will not. I am sorry, Colonel, but unless we are able to disable the lead Ha'tak's shields, it appears this battle is not one the forces we have brought will be able to win."

"Sir, the Ha'taks have just released a number of gliders." Womack's voice was strained.

"Get the pilots to their F-302s," Pendergast ordered. Another blast rattled his ship. "Don't count us out yet, Thor," he said firmly. "We're not the kind to lie down and cry uncle."

OoOoOoOoO

"This structure is definitely of Ancient design," Daniel said. He flashed his light on a fixture on the wall in front of them. "I've seen pictures of these from Atlantis."

"That's great. Does that mean you know how to turn on the power?" Jack asked. He was tired of walking down dark halls.

"Atlantis powered up the second it detected a human presence." Daniel shook his head. "Obviously that didn't happen here."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Obviously."

"We're probably headed toward some sort of control room. At least I'm guessing that's why there's a power reading," Carter said.

"It is a logical hypothesis," Anise agreed.

"If we can get the power up and running, the lights should work."

"Great," Jack said. "How about heat?"

Carter smiled. "Any other requests while I'm at it, sir?"

He cocked his eyebrow at her and smirked. "None right now, Carter."

Jack saw Daniel stop to admire a column as the group passed by it. He laid his hands across its surface, his fingers tracing something Jack couldn't see.

"We're not here to sight see, Daniel."

"No, Jack. There's something written here."

"So?"

Daniel looked up, expression annoyed. "There hasn't been any writing anywhere since we left the doorway. Don't you think it may be worth a look?"

Jack rolled his eyes as the last of their group, Bra'tac, stepped past the archway.

Daniel looked up at the ceiling as a loud scraping sound filled the hallway. Jack saw it first. He grabbed the strap for Daniel's pack and yanked as hard as he could. Daniel fell backwards just before a new wall dropped down where he'd stood, effectively sealing the group away from the entrance.

Their heads all whipped around to see it settle firmly in place with a crash.

"That can't be good," Carter said.

Another rumble announced the appearance of another wall. They all turned as it cut them off up ahead. They were trapped.

"All who pass will be judged," Daniel read loudly from the column. "Those deemed unworthy will be cleansed by the flood of purification."

Jack felt a drop on his scalp before the steady rain of water poured out from several spouts in the ceiling.

"Again with the water?" he asked. "What is it with water?!"

"It will fill the room quickly," Bra'tac said.

Carter knelt to jam her knife under the edge of the new wall in front of them. She scratched along the crease where it met the floor trying to find purchase. Teal'c bent to help her. Already the water reached their ankles.

Daniel pulled his oxygen mask around to cover his face.

"It's not scuba gear, Daniel," Jack barked, "it won't work."

"Tell me what else to do, Jack."

Jack pushed Daniel back to the column. "Read. Find a way to turn it off."

Daniel nodded and turned his attention to the writing.

Jack waded through the rising water to Carter and Teal'c. He passed Bra'tac and Anise, who felt along the walls to the sides for a kill switch.

Carter stood as he reached her. "The wall's firm, sir. We won't get out this way unless it decides to let us." The memories of her last experience in the water were reflected in her eyes.

"We're not drowning here, Carter."

She blinked against the water pouring over them. Beads of liquid clung to her lashes. Her hair was plastered against the sides of her face. "Yes, sir."

OoOoOoOoO

The bright light of an Asgard transporter beam cut through the peaceful yellow and orange jungle. As soon as it disappeared Ba'al studied his new surroundings. The four drones that accompanied him stood ready for his order.

The Goa'uld's gaze landed on the center of a great archway. He stepped to it with a smile.

"It seems they left the door open."

ooooooooooooooooo

Next chapter is almost finished. Have a happy holiday.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: **I completely underestimated how busy I would get the past week. I should have known, seeing as how there's always so much to do for the holidays. Here's the first of several chapters to come in quick succession. I have written through chapter 35 and they are in the hands of the ever impressive and magical beta reader sbz. I will post them as soon as I can. If that means there will be more than one a day, then that's what that means (and I really feel the need to send candy and caffeine to sbz for being so gracious and plowing through them along with me). I only have about three more to write and am trying to finish those by the end of the weekend. That way I can close out the new year by closing out my very first complete chapter story. Wow! I can't believe I'm at the end. Thanks so much for sticking with me through this endeavor. It's been a blast and I fully intend on doing it again. Your kind words and encouragement have made me for the first time ever call myself a writer... not just someone who likes to write on occasion. Now I'm off to finish chapter thirty-six! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **You know they don't belong to me. I've said it thirty-two times now.

**Warning! **Too much egg nog can make for a really interesting holiday party.

oooooooooooooo

_The bright light of an Asgard transporter beam cut through the peaceful yellow and orange jungle. As soon as it disappeared Ba'al studied his new surroundings. The four drones that accompanied him stood ready for his order._

_The Goa'uld's gaze landed on the center of a great archway. He stepped to it with a smile._

_"It seems they left the door open."_

oooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

Water poured into the small room that trapped SG-1. Teal'c hefted Anise to his shoulders so she could inspect the crease where the roof met the wall on one side.

"There is no hope of blocking the spouts," she said loudly. Jack could hardly hear anything over the pouring water.

"This says there's a way to turn it off," Daniel said. His fingers traced the lettering on the column desperately.

"And how would that be?" Jack asked. The water was to their waists and made it difficult to move around.

"To be found worthy," Daniel read, "those who enter must…"

"Must what?"

"I'm _reading_. Just give me a sec."

"Daniel, we kind of have a limited time frame here. And let's not talk about the shrinkage!"

"I agree. Let's not," Carter said tersely. She threw Jack a scolding look and he shrugged.

"Those who enter must know the mind of the three."

"The three sisters?" Jack asked. "Okay, Daniel. What was on their mind when they wrote this little riddle?"

"How should I know, Jack?" Daniel's voice rose a little.

"Well, _you're_ the expert."

"I hardly call myself an expert in the life and times of the Moirae."

"You knew enough to get us to the planet and down here."

"_No_ I didn't. Sam helped."

"Good enough."

"Actually, Jack. In this case—it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's _not_." Daniel threw his hands out in frustration.

"Yes!"

"No!"

Teal'c stepped between the two, his voice calm. "Even if we know the thoughts of the Moirae, how do we then relay the information?"

Daniel shook his head. "I didn't get that far."

"Then look," Carter said. She pushed through the water that almost reached her chest to stand beside him at the column.

Daniel gave an exasperated sigh and turned back to the writing. "He who is without," he read.

"Without what?" Jack asked.

"_Jack_! Just let me read!"

"Fine. Fine."

"He who is without shall prove his purity by showing himself of like mind. His blood must run pure." Daniel shook his head and turned to Sam. She shrugged.

"That doesn't even make sense," Jack said.

"Well, it's not exactly like I have the time to get a perfect translation!"

"We must hurry, Daniel Jackson." There was a splash behind them and Jack turned to see Anise pushing up out of the water. She'd jumped from Teal'c's shoulders. The Jaffa shook his head at Jack to tell him they'd found nothing to help.

Jack cursed in frustration. "Okay, kids. I don't think we have time to figure out this little riddle of Daniel's."

"I agree," Sam said. She took a once over of the words scrawled on the pillar and turned. "Teal'c."

"Colonel Carter," Teal'c said.

"Get your C-4."

"Sam?" Daniel asked.

"Just what I was thinking," Jack said to Sam. He patted her on the back.

She smiled up at him. "No fear, right General?"

"Sam?" Daniel said again. "We can't detonate the C-4 in here. It'll blow us all up. I'd say that kind of defeats the purpose."

"Daniel, we don't have time-- or don't you notice the height of the water?"

Jack lifted his arms above the surface and nodded. The room seemed to be filling faster now. Carter was in it up to her shoulders and Anise was already forced to tread water. "It's not giving us much of a choice."

"The water should cushion the blast if we set the charge high and sink ourselves into the opposite corner," Carter said. She took the block from Teal'c and gestured for him to turn around. She took a dry digital fuse out of the top pocket at the back of his vest and stuck it into the C-4.

"Teal'c and I can breathe for several minutes under the water," Bra'tac said. "I was not aware the Tau'ri were as capable."

"We're not," Carter said. She reached back and grabbed the oxygen mask from where it was attached to her gear. "We'll have to use the oxygen we're carrying. The masks aren't air tight, so we'll have to bypass them."

She turned to speak to all of them. "Everybody, tear your mask from the hose that leads to your tank." She demonstrated by yanking the part of the mask that fit over the nose and mouth from the thin hose at its end. "When you're ready to go under, stick the hose in your mouth." She waited until the others did as she asked and then half waded, half swam to the far wall. "Teal'c, lift me up."

Teal'c followed her and Jack watched him hoist Carter onto his shoulders. She had to duck her head to avoid knocking it on the ceiling. The water quickly rose to cover Teal'c's mouth.

She reached up with the C-4 and stuck it into the edge where the newly formed wall met the ceiling. It was one of the only dry places in the small room.

Everyone else shifted to the rear. "I'm setting a short fuse or I'm afraid the water will reach it before it has a chance to detonate," Carter said loudly.

"Just make sure you and Teal'c have enough time to get clear," Jack said.

Carter nodded. She glanced back at the people under her charge. They'd all followed her orders and had their newly exposed oxygen hoses in their mouths. Jack gave her a nod. "Everyone under," she said.

Jack watched the rest do as she asked before meeting her eyes once more. "Don't get dead," he told her.

She smiled and turned back to the C-4.

Jack stuck his hose into his mouth and sank into the water, eyes open. He found the others and held himself at the bottom alongside Daniel. He heard a loud clap in his water logged ears as two bodies crashed into the water. The thundering detonation of the C-4 followed Carter and Teal'c's entry. Jack's eyes widened. Flames rushed into the water towards them.

OoOoOoOoO

Colonel Caldwell's knuckles grew white as he fought to stay in his seat. He watched his bridge officers get tossed to the floor by the latest impact.

"Shields are back up and running at thirty percent, sir," Major Kleinman said after he pulled himself back into his seat. The panel above him sent sparks down onto his head. He ducked away while another crewman extinguished the small fire.

"Thor is asking us to fall in behind him so his shields can take some of the heat," Major Marks said from behind Caldwell's chair.

Caldwell nodded. "Good idea." He turned to Kleinman. "I'm less worried about the Ha'tak than those gliders, though," he said. "Damn gnats are gonna pick at us until we bleed out. Where are my F-302s?"

OoOoOoOoO

Colonel Cameron Mitchell felt the ship heave beneath his feet. Another blast had pelted the hull. The pilots on either side of him fell to the floor, but he managed to stay upright. "Come on, boys. We can't help from here!"

"Yes, sir!" he heard in stereo as both men righted themselves and ran for their F-302s.

Cam made it to his ladder and climbed quickly to the cockpit of the small fighter. His copilot, Griff, was already firing up the engine from the rear seat. Cam lowered himself into his own seat. It felt like home. He strapped himself snugly into the harness and took his helmet from the crewman who stood beside him on the ladder.

"Stay safe up there, sir," he said.

"Who, me?" Cam gave the crewman one of his biggest smiles. "This is my last mission before moving to the big leagues. There's no way I'll let myself miss that."

"Yes, sir," the crewman said, returning the smile. He knocked on the canopy and it lowered, sealing Cam and Griff inside.

"You're pretty cocky today," Griff said.

"Today, Griff, nothing can stop me. I've got one more rodeo with your sorry ass and then it's off to SG-1."

"You're just happy because you get to hang out with Colonel Carter on a daily basis."

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Cam said with a chuckle. "SG-1 has been my dream for a long time. Colonel Carter or no Colonel Carter."

"Right."

"Cut the chatter and get us out to space already." Cam ran through his procedural flight check in blessed silence. Yup. Next time it would be him on some planet and all the people flying the friendly skies would be there to protect his southern backside.

"Prometheus has released its F-302s," he heard through the radio in his helmet. He watched the last of the 'ground' crew run out of the launching bay.

"Well," he answered back, "let's not let them have all the fun."

"You're cleared, Colonel," the dispatcher said. "Godspeed."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Cam said. He felt the familiar adrenalin surge through his bloodstream as the bay doors opened and the shield ahead winked out.

"Let's go get 'em, Blue Squadron," he said. He heard the answering whoops of his squadron and then he was pushed back against his seat as he thrust his ship forward into the blackness of space.

OoOoOoOoO

"The Daedalus has launched its F-302s," Major Grant said.

"Good." Pendergast took in the status of the 'fleet' around him, his shoulders tense. The Prometheus fared better than several of the ships, including the Daedalus, who had lost her shields under heavy fire from the lead Ha'tak.

"There has to be something we can do about the enemy shields," he told his officers.

Grant shook her head. "I don't see how, sir. We've already depleted most of our weapons and nothing seems to work."

"I refuse to believe they're invulnerable--"

Captain Womack's strained voice interrupted his thoughts. "It appears the Tok'ra believe as you do, sir. Their lead vessel has broken away from the rest and is on a collision course with the modified Ha'tak."

"How do they hope to get through their shields?"

"I don't know, sir." Her voice trailed off.

Pendergast turned in his chair to see her frown at the panel in front of her.

"What is it?"

"They've powered down. Their shields and engines are offline." She looked up at him. "It appears they intend to use their inertia to carry them past the shields so they can ram the Ha'tak's shield generator."

"It's a suicide mission," Pendergast growled. "Once they're inside the Ha'tak's shields there'll be no hope of escaping the impact."

"Gliders are moving in on their position."

Pendergast shook his head. "Order our fighters to cover that vessel. We have to at least give them a chance to succeed."

"Yes, sir."

OoOoOoOoO

"Hold 'em back!" Colonel Pierce yelled. He ducked in time to feel the heat of an arm blaster singe the hair on the crest of his scalp. Too close.

He could barely make out the clearing through the haze of smoke anymore, but he knew drones still continued to arrive in short intervals. This was quickly becoming a losing battle.

His men sent out an answering volley of weapons fire. He heard the bullets deflect off the armor, but also recognized the pained cries as some hit pay dirt. They'd been lucky so far. Most of the drones were merely Jaffa in disguise and the rest had been neutralized by the Kull disruptors fired by SG-7. The SG teams had a much better position than the enemy. Still, numbers were numbers—and the bad guys had numbers.

An explosion to the right caught him by surprise. Its heat and light expanded into the clearing, taking out several Jaffa with it.

"What was that?" he called to Major Harper through his radio.

"Not us. I don't think it's a good sign, though." Harper's voice sounded strained. Pierce heard heavy fire from the other end of the clearing.

"Send a couple scouts. I want to find out what's going on," Pierce said.

"They've taken out half of SG-7 is what's going on," Major Garcia interrupted through the radio.

"Come again?" Harper asked.

"The explosion caught members of my team. They must have zeroed in on the disruptor fire. A drone ringed in carrying some sort of over the shoulder weapon. Damn thing looked like a bazooka."

"How many men did you lose?"

"Hard to tell from this side. I know Robertson, Lake, and Ryder were over there." Garcia's anger made his voice shake. SG-7 was one of the larger teams. Five members in all. This time out they'd added a sixth member—a newbie who hadn't yet found a home team."

"Taft, Flynn, and Jimenez," Pierce said into his radio, "switch to disruptors."

A new voice joined in the chatter. "We're near the blast site now," Reynolds said. He sounded just a little winded, like he'd run a three minute mile. "Robertson and Ryder are dead. Lake is wounded pretty bad." There was a rustle and a muffled voice. Pierce could picture Reynolds turning to talk to his teammate nearby, his hand still pressing the talk button. "We're plugging the hole here. Keep up the cover fire. We have to give SG-1 more time."

"Sir," Harper acknowledged the order.

Pierce was about to do the same when he looked up. A drone walked confidently through the haze and into sight. On his shoulder rested an extremely menacing looking...rocket launcher was the best term he could think of to describe it. The Kull turned its head slightly and Pierce found himself pinned by the twin lights that passed for eyes in the dark helmet. The weapon swung around and then he was staring down the barrel of the launcher.

Crap.

ooooooooooooo

The next chapter's right around the corner.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: **Hang on to your hats, folks.

**Disclaimer: **They're not mine.

**Warning! **Watching large quantities of Smallville is a lot like looking straight into the sun, only instead of seeing dark spots everywhere, you see Tom Welling every time you blink your eyes. Oh, wait... that's not a bad thing at all.

ooooooooooo

_A new voice joined in the chatter. "We're near the blast site now," Reynolds said. He sounded just a little winded, like he'd run a three minute mile. "Robertson and Ryder are dead. Lake is wounded pretty bad." There was a rustle and a muffled voice. Pierce could picture Reynolds turning to talk to his teammate nearby, his hand still pressing the talk button. "We're plugging the hole here. Keep up the cover fire. We have to give SG-1 more time."_

_"Sir," Harper acknowledged the order._

_Pierce was about to do the same when he looked up. A drone walked confidently through the haze and into sight. On his shoulder rested an extremely menacing looking...rocket launcher was the best term he could think of to describe it. The Kull turned its head slightly and Pierce found himself pinned by the twin lights that passed for eyes in the dark helmet. The weapon swung around and then he was staring down the barrel of the launcher._

_Crap._

ooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

Jack heard the concussion of the blast; the water around him heated instantly. The warmth touched at his skin, but the sensation was fleeting. A new one replaced it—a less than gentle pull as the water rushed out through the demolished wall.

Someone slammed into him, struggling against the same pull. Judging by the size and weight, he'd guess it was Daniel. The impact pushed the air from his lungs and he fought to keep the air tube in his mouth.

He gave up fighting against the pull and let himself flow with the water. He slammed into another body before continuing with the surge. He felt the twisted metal sides of the wall scrape his shoulders as he passed through them and then he dropped to the floor. Water poured onto his head. He had the presence of mind to move as fast as he could to the side before another body fell out of the quickly emptying room.

Jack heard Daniel's gargled "oomph," before he leaned forward and tugged on his friend's soaked vest. Daniel allowed himself to be dragged back towards Jack. Jack hardly had to work to slide Daniel away from his landing spot.

Teal'c was the next to be spat onto the floor, followed by Anise, who landed directly on top of the Jaffa. Teal'c quickly wrapped his arms around her and rolled them both out of the way. Bra'tac landed with a clank of metal. The water slowed its steady stream from the room.

Jack looked up to see that the C-4 hadn't taken out the entire slab. There was a large hole blown across the top. It spread in a mass of twisted metal about two-thirds of the way down to the floor. The rest remained intact.

It was not lost on him that there was one person missing from this side of the wall.

Daniel must have noticed, too. "Sam!" he called.

"Carter!" Jack's voice joined Daniel's.

"Just a sec," they heard her answer from the other side of the wall.

"Sam, don't do that to us."

"Do what?"

"I think what he means, Carter," Jack called, "is that with your track record of late, it's not exactly reassuring when we all land out here and you don't."

"It's not my fault I ended up kissing the wall instead of falling through it."

Jack pushed himself up off the floor, trying to ignore the uncomfortable twinge in his knees and the added weight of the water in his clothes. His shoulder ached where it had scraped against the metal. A quick glance around revealed the others had similar injuries. Nothing looked too bad, though.

Jack's boots sloshed all the way to the demolished wall.

At first he couldn't see Carter. The water was still hip high in the small enclosure. He stuck his head through the hole and found her inspecting the nearest corner. Her back was to him so he couldn't make out exactly what she was looking at.

"Whatcha doin'?"

She turned her head briefly in greeting and brushed her sopping hair off her face. Jack caught sight of blood at her temple before she turned back to her inspection of the corner.

"There's something here," she said. "The explosion exposed it. I think it explains why we were trapped in here."

"Oh?"

She moved aside so he could see what she was talking about. "It's a sensor. I think we tripped it on this end and it caused both walls to fall." She gestured to the wall that stood intact on the other end.

Jack nodded. "What tripped it?"

"Well, sir, I was the first one to pass by it—so I'm guessing I did."

"Find yourself unworthy a lot lately, Carter?"

"Very funny, sir." She frowned again at the wall and then turned back to him. He noticed she held a couple weapons: a P-90 and Bra'tac's staff weapon. She must have picked them out of the water. He watched her trudge through the water towards the hole. "I have a theory about that, actually."

"Of course you do." He shrugged out of his pack and slung it over the lower part of the opening to cover the jagged metal there. Carter eyed the sides of the hole warily before she handed him her weapon along with the others and put her hands atop the pack. A quick hop and she carefully hefted herself up and through. She landed on her feet beside him and he placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.

Her face was close to his when she looked up. He noticed the blood again and gestured to it. "You ok?"

She gave a short nod and stepped away. She then reached up and grabbed his pack to hand it back to him. "I think it's a Goa'uld detector."

"What's a Goa'uld detector?" She should know better than to switch gears on him that fast, he thought. It was hard enough figuring out what she said half the time, anyway.

"The sensor, sir. I think it's a Goa'uld detector."

Anise stepped up to them, her expression pensive. "He who is without will be declared pure."

"Without a symbiote," Daniel said. He took the P-90 from Jack, then handed Carter's over to her.

Bra'tac accepted his weapon as well. "But Major Carter does not have a symbiote."

"I did." Carter looked around at the group who had gathered close together. "And if we're right, the General and Daniel are the only ones here who won't set off the traps—if there are any more of them."

"I believe we should expect that there are," Teal'c said.

Carter nodded. "I'm inclined to agree."

"So, what do we do?" Daniel asked. "We can't exactly leave everyone here."

"No. We all go forward," Carter said. She stepped away from the others and shined the light from her P-90 down the dark hall. "Just stay on your toes and look for signs of a trap."

"Like they were so obvious the last time," Jack said sarcastically. "I'll take point. If I'm really immune then it's safer for me to go first."

"Let's get moving, then. Who knows how much farther we have to go before we find what we're looking for," Carter said.

"_If_ we find what we're looking for."

"Come on, Jack. You never used to be so pessimistic," Daniel said.

"Yes I was." Jack cocked his head.

Daniel gave a half smile. "Yes—you were."

Jack raised his eyebrows and then turned away to lead the group down the dark hallway.

OoOoOoOoO

"Blue leader, you have orders to cover the Tok'ra vessel's descent."

"Got that," Cam said. He flipped a switch and spoke into the comm. "Blue squadron. Change of plans. We're to escort the Tok'ra Tel'tak to the Ha'tak shield so it can try to make this party a little more fun for the good guys."

He turned his attention to his gunner in the back seat. "Keep your eyes open, Griff. We're about to become target numero uno."

"Gotcha," Griff said confidently.

Cam nodded and went back to the comm. "V formation. Go."

He banked aft and took the lead position. The Tok'ra Tel'tak was taking heavy fire from several gliders. They looked like flies swarming around a fallen cow husk in a field.

"Let's swat at some insects, Griff. Give me a wide spread just to clear the landscape."

"Can do, Cam."

Cam felt the kick under his feet as his bird let fly an energy spread courtesy of their last trade arrangement with the Asgard. The other ships in his formation did the same and Cam watched multiple enemy crafts explode in a brilliant light show. The rest scattered to regroup.

"Nice job, boys and girls. Time to turn chaperone. Diamonds at three, nine, and twelve o'clock. One more above and another below." Again, Cam maneuvered his ship into the lead position. His squadron slid into their spots like clockwork.

"Tok'ra vessel," he said, "we're here to take the heat off. You just keep right on trucking and let us worry about your backside."

"We appreciate your efforts," came the answer. "We are prepared to make our attempt at the shield generator."

"We can stay with you until you clear the shield. After that, you're on your own."

"I do believe that should be sufficient."

Cam nodded. "Hey, if you succeed, we get to shoot at bigger stuff. I'd say it's _you_ that's doing _us_ the favor."

"We've got company coming in at five and six o'clock," Griff reported.

"Hold on tight. We're about to earn our paychecks."

OoOoOoOoO

Pierce felt his body still. His muscles relaxed and a calm washed over him. He figured it was that calm that came when a person realized he was about to lose his life.

The drone stood in front of him, weapon raised. It reached up to check something on the side of the launcher and then aimed for the Major. Pierce knew it would probably take out his whole team right along with him, but the Kull was too far away to jump and his P-90 wasn't set to the Disruptor mode. There was no way he could do anything heroic in time to save the team.

Of course that didn't mean he wouldn't try. As quickly as he could, he flipped over the mechanism that would charge the disruptor.

He saw the drone's finger move over the trigger.

A flash of blue light surrounded the Kull. Pierce's eyes shot to the tree line behind the drone. Another blue energy stream surged from the canopy and the Kull fell. Its weapon made a loud thud when it hit the ground and a small cloud of dust puffed from under it.

Reynolds ran out from behind the yellow trees with a grin. "You should have seen your face, Ben."

Pierce frowned at the Colonel. "I don't think yours would have been any different, sir."

"Maybe not," Reynolds agreed. He stepped over the dead drone and knelt down next to its dropped weapon. "This the thing that killed half of SG-7?"

Pierce nodded. "Got a pretty good idea it is."

"Well," Reynolds said, "I think it's time we taught these drones a little lesson about payback, don't you?" He picked up the weapon with a grunt and plopped it in Pierce's arms.

Pierce tested the weight of it and found himself smiling. "Don't mind if I do."

OoOoOoOoO

"Is it just me, or are we still headed down?" Daniel asked.

Carter nodded. "I feel the decline, too -- and it's getting markedly warmer."

"How far do you think we've got before we're there?"

"Well, sir," Carter said, "considering my tracker was lost in the flood back there, I have absolutely no idea."

"That's reassuring," Jack mumbled.

"Is it possible I see a light ahead?" Bra'tac asked.

Carter shut off her light and the rest did the same. Bra'tac was right. There was a definite shimmer of light in the hallway ahead.

Jack put a little more hop-to in his step and heard Carter match his pace a little behind him. He didn't notice the panel on the wall until after he'd passed it. He stopped. "Carter…"

The warning came too late. He heard her cry of pain before he even fully turned around. He switched his light back on and directed it in her direction.

"Nobody move," Anise said calmly. She held her arm out to block the rest from stepping forward should they choose to ignore her warning.

In front of them all, Carter had been lifted from her feet and was suspended in the air by some sort of green electric net. He could see the energy discharge against her skin where it held her in place.

Her lip was caught between her teeth and her eyes were closed in an effort to compartmentalize the pain. He knew she'd had some measure of success when she opened her eyes and met his.

"It's not too bad, sir," she said. He could tell she was lying.

"Goa'uld detector?" he asked.

"I'm assuming so," she answered.

"You know, Carter, I'm liking this place less and less."

"I'm right there with you, sir."

Teal'c moved on the other side of the netting. He raised his P-90 and smashed it into the panel. Nothing happened. He looked up at Jack, a question in his eyes.

Jack nodded.

Teal'c tried again, this time a little harder.

Still nothing.

He tried again and a bolt of green energy shot through the weapon to the man holding it. Teal'c flew back and landed hard on the floor.

"Teal'c!" Daniel yelled. He rushed to Teal'c's side, Bra'tac not far behind.

Jack saw the Jaffa moving on the floor, reassured he wasn't dead. "You ok, T?" he called.

"I am fine, O'Neill," Teal'c said. He sat up with the assistance of both Daniel and Bra'tac. The fact that he needed help told Jack volumes. He wasn't 'fine.'

"What happened?" Carter asked. Her voice shook slightly. She tried to turn her head to look and got a zap from the 'net.'

"Teal'c figured out machine gun metal is a pretty good conductor."

"Is he alright?"

"Looks fine," he said. He glanced behind her quickly. "Slightly cooked—but fine." He dragged his eyes back to her face. "How about you?"

"Fine," she said tightly.

Jack shook his head. Members of SG-1 should just walk around with business cards that read _I'm Fine_ on them. She was not fine.

"So, how do we get you out of there, Carter?"

Anise stepped up to the panel and touched it gingerly. She tapped it and when it didn't shock her, she laid her palm against it. "I will attempt to turn the field off," she said. She bent to get a better view of it. "There is writing."

"Daniel, get over there and help her," Jack ordered.

Daniel joined Anise and knelt to read the panel's inscriptions. His face fell. "Uh, Jack..."

"What, Daniel?"

"This trap's a little less cryptic."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"Well." Daniel pushed his glasses back up his nose and met Jack's eyes across the green screen, still hunched over. "It doesn't say how to shut the field off, but it does tell us what the field will do if we don't manage to get Sam out of there."

"I don't like the tone in your voice, Daniel," Carter said.

"What does it say?" Jack asked.

"The field is sending electric pulses into Sam's body," Daniel said.

Carter rolled her eyes. "That, I knew already."

"Have you ever heard of death by a thousand cuts?" Daniel asked.

"I don't like the sound of that," Carter mumbled.

"It's a form of torture and execution originating from Imperial China. The victim is cut thousands of times. None of the cuts are deep or life threatening, but all of them combined…"

"I'm guessing the victim didn't feel up to going out dancing afterward?"

"Uh—no, Jack."

"So, how do we get me out of here before the thousand cuts become lethal?"

"That's the problem, Sam. It says once the net has caught an impure victim, there's no release until…" He turned to reread from the panel. "The heart beats no more."

"In other words, I have to die for it to let me go?" Her eyes met Jack's and then closed as she let loose a shaky sigh. Jack thought he saw a hint of fear in them before she hid it behind her lids.

"I think that _is_ what it's getting at," Daniel said.

"Like hell we're going to let that happen." Jack stomped up to the net, reached out, and grabbed hold of Carter's shoulder.

"Jack." Daniel's warning resonated in the small space as he, too, stepped up to the netting. "I wouldn't do anything rash."

Jack looked up at Sam's face. Her eyes opened to meet his head on. He saw in them that her thoughts matched his own. She wouldn't just stand by and let herself succumb to whatever the builders of this place had deemed her fate to be. She was like him. She'd rather die fighting.

"Go for it," she whispered. She screwed her eyes shut in preparation for whatever punishment she'd receive if this didn't work.

Jack didn't need any more encouragement. He stepped back and pulled as hard as he could.

He felt the resistance and saw the color of the energy field morph from green to yellow. Carter's pain filled scream echoed off the walls and into his ears. It didn't bother him as much as the stark silence that followed.

ooooooooooo

Next chapter coming soon!


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: **I'm working on the final chapter now, so I'm confident I'll finish tomorrow. My goal is to have it all posted by Tuesday. In the end there'll be 38 chapters and an epilogue... for those of you who were beginning to wonder. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews on the last two chapters. They've been so much fun to read.

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**Warning! **Cream puffs were not meant to be eaten in mass quantities.

ooooooooooooo

_Jack looked up at Sam's face. Her eyes opened to meet his head on. He saw in them that her thoughts matched his own. She wouldn't just stand by and let herself succumb to whatever the builders of this place had deemed her fate to be. She was like him. She'd rather die fighting._

_"Go for it," she whispered. She screwed her eyes shut in preparation for whatever punishment she'd receive if this didn't work._

_Jack didn't need any more encouragement. He stepped back and pulled as hard as he could._

_He felt the resistance and saw the color of the energy field morph from green to yellow. Carter's pain filled scream echoed off the walls and into his ears. It didn't bother him as much as the stark silence that followed._

oooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

Major Pierce half carried, half dragged the heavy Kull missile launcher to the edge of the clearing. He arrived just as the rings deposited yet another group of Goa'uld lackies.

"Let's see how you like your own stuff," he grumbled. He hefted the launcher to his shoulder and aimed for the center of the clearing.

His free hand reached up to press the button on his radio. "Fire in the hole!" He gave an internal three count and then depressed the ignition.

The weapon kicked so hard Pierce felt his feet leave the ground; he flew a good thirty feet backwards. He would have flown farther were it not for the large tree in his path. The impact was bone jarring. He hit and heard something crack. He guessed it wasn't the tree. His body slid down to the ground just as his shot detonated. The ground rumbled and flames reached out like fingers from the center of the clearing into the glade.

"Ain't that a beautiful sight?" he asked himself and then saw black.

OoOoOoOoO

Pendergast watched the progress of the Tok'ra Tel'tak as it inched closer to the lead enemy Ha'tak. Blue Squadron was doing a pretty good job of keeping the gliders at bay. The Tok'ra just might make it.

"Be ready to transport the crew of that Tok'ra vessel to level thirteen holding just before it crosses the shield threshold," he said.

Captain Womack nodded. "Yes, sir."

"They won't like it," he said more for his benefit than anyone else's. "They're into the whole kamikaze thing, but I can't let them sacrifice themselves needlessly."

"Thor is requesting to speak with you, Colonel," Grant reported.

Pendergast nodded and moved to the nearest screen.

"Colonel Pendergast," Thor greeted.

Pendergast thought it was unnecessary since they'd spoken not long ago. He had a hard time understanding Asgard formality sometimes. "Thor," he replied.

"I have reviewed the Tok'ra plan to destroy the shield generator on the lead Ha'tak vessel and have found it does have merit."

"Do tell," Pendergast said, his interest piqued.

"I believe with a supplemental charge, the explosion may be strong enough to overload their systems and take down the shield."

"So what you're saying is…"

"I will move closer and aim my weapons at the exact location of impact according to the vessel's current trajectory. If you do the same…"

"We should be able to take out their shields?"

"Yes."

"Let's do it."

"I am sending you my information now," Thor said. "You must target the exact location when I tell you to in order to achieve the maximum weapons yield."

"I get it. Thanks, Thor."

"You are welcome, Colonel Pendergast." The screen winked out and Pendergast moved back to his chair.

"Womack, did you get Thor's transmission?"

"I did, sir."

He nodded. "Good. We do everything just as he's asked. Move us in closer to the lead Ha'tak."

OoOoOoOoO

"Carter," Jack said. He patted her cheek and willed her to wake up. Her eyes moved under her lids and he felt a little relief. It was overshadowed by the fact that despite his efforts she still remained suspended inside the net.

"Is she okay, Jack?" Daniel asked.

"I think so. She just got a bit of a jolt is all." He patted her cheek again. He wanted to do more, but knew he couldn't with the rest of them standing there. "Carter."

"Your actions were ill advised, O'Neill." Teal'c had picked himself up off the floor under his own steam. He still looked a little pale to Jack, but then, the lighting wasn't the best in here.

"I know that now, T."

Carter moaned.

Jack turned his attention back to her in time to see her eyes open. "Hey, Carter."

"Let's not do that again," she mumbled as if half asleep.

Jack smiled. Relief flooded through him. "That's fine. We won't." He turned to the others. "She's okay."

"How long was I out?"

"Couple minutes. Long enough to miss Daniel's lecture."

"He gave a lecture?"

"Teal'c helped."

"I have been attempting to find a way to release you, Colonel Carter," Anise said from her position next to the panel.

Carter smiled weakly. "Good. You keep doing that."

Anise frowned. "I do not see how it is possible, however."

"It _has_ to be possible," Jack said.

Daniel snapped his fingers. Jack saw his eyes brighten. "It's an Ancient trap using Ancient technologies, right?"

"It appears to be so," Bra'tac said.

"So, it's looking for purity. What would it consider to be more pure than another Ancient?"

"We do not have an Ancient here, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

"No, we don't," Daniel said. "But we do have Jack."

They all turned to look at Jack.

He stood to his full height and raised his eyebrows. "Me?"

"Yes, Jack. You've had the uncanny ability to make all sorts of Ancient technologies work. Why should this one be any different?"

Jack looked up at Carter. Her face was beaded with sweat as she fought to control the pain.

"Let's do it." He stepped up to the net that had gradually turned back to green over the last few minutes. "So how do I get over there?"

"You're not unworthy, Jack," Daniel said. "I'm willing to bet it will let you right through."

Jack threw him a sarcastic look. "_You're_ willing to bet?" He focused back on the grid and took a deep breath. He didn't want to get caught up in the net along with her. He wouldn't be much help if he did. He reached out a finger and touched a strand of green. It shimmered against his fingertip, but he didn't feel anything.

"Hmm," he said. He looked over at the people on the other side. "Here goes nothing." And he stepped into the light.

He expected to feel a jolt or something to indicate the presence of electricity passing through him. He didn't. One second he was on one side of the screen, and the next he was on the other.

Daniel looked surprised, but didn't say anything. Teal'c and Bra'tac smiled at his success. Anise frowned in her usual stoic manner.

"What do I do now?" Jack asked.

Anise indicated the panel. "I am unaware of any action that will turn off the grid. However, you may try."

Jack stepped up to the panel and looked at the writing intently. It was gibberish. "I say again—what do I do?"

Daniel came to his side. "I don't know, Jack. Try touching it."

Jack reached out and tapped the panel. Nothing happened. A little more confidently, he positioned himself square to the box and tap, tap, tapped the top again, each time allowing his hand to remain in contact with the metal a little longer than the last until his palms rested solidly atop the surface.

The rest of them waited silently, ready to pull him away if the panel tried to hurt him.

He closed his eyes and thought about the box. Nothing happened.

"I got nothin'," he said. He dropped his hands from the panel and glanced back at Carter. His eyes clouded.

"Try again, Jack," Daniel said. "Think… _off_."

Jack sighed and turned back to the panel. "Right." He reached out again and laid his palms across the top. He closed his eyes and thought about the green grid. He thought about Carter caught in the netting, the pain in her eyes, the scream as he tried to pull her free. He told the panel she was good. He told it she was worthy. He told it to let her go.

And then, in the corner of his mind, he heard a quiet buzz. He'd felt it before. He recognized it. He knew how to shut off the grid. He thought the words _power down_ clearly and with authority.

The netting winked out and Sam fell with a grunt to the floor.

Everyone rushed to her side, but Jack was the only one to go down to his haunches to help her roll over to her back.

Her eyes were closed at first, but she opened them quickly when her cheek brushed the pant leg that covered Jack's knee.

"That was fun," she mumbled quietly.

"Wanna go again?" Jack asked, trying to hide his worry.

She shook her head. "No, but you can feel free. Just watch that last step. It's a doozy." She reached up to rub the back of her head.

Jack frowned and helped her sit up. He made her look down so he could inspect the tender spot. A small goose egg was forming where she'd hit her head on the floor. He felt for broken skin with gentle hands and found none.

"You okay, Sam?" Daniel asked.

"Oh, if I had a nickel," she said.

Jack grinned and sat back. "Isn't that my line, Carter?"

She met his smile. "I'm learning, sir. Remember?"

"You ready to get up?"

She nodded and let him help her get to her feet. She eyed the panel warily. "Is that thing off for good, or just resting?"

"I turned it off," Jack said.

"It did not harm any of us as we passed by," Bra'tac confirmed.

"That's good." Carter took her weapon from Teal'c, who'd picked it up off the floor where she'd dropped it.

"Maybe you should rest a bit before we move out," Jack said. He gave her a quick once over. She looked tired, but seemed to be shaking off the effects of the grid fairly quickly.

Carter gave him a look that told him he was being ridiculous. He held his hands up in surrender and then motioned to the hallway ahead. "After you," he said.

She stepped forward toward the light that had initially drawn them down this hallway. The rest followed, their eyes searching the walls for any more unexpected surprises.

There weren't any. At least, not until they stepped into the large room at the end of the hall. Jack's eyes widened.

"Pay dirt," he said.

"Looks like we've found the control room," she said.

"Yes, but what does it control?" Bra'tac asked.

"Hopefully, the lights," Carter said. She stepped to the closest computer panel and recognized the Ancient machinery right away. "Sir," she said, "I may need you."

"It's always nice to feel needed," Jack said. He moved to her side, ignoring the look she threw his way.

She gestured to the panel. "I think it'll work for anyone once it's on, but it looks like there's no 'on' switch."

Jack nodded. He gave her a nudge and took her place in front of the panel. "Make way for the magical wonders of my powerful and awe inspiring mind," he announced. He cracked his knuckles and dropped his hands to hover a few inches above the panel.

"Oh, brother," Daniel said from across the room where he was busy inspecting another bank of Ancient computers.

"I just need it on, sir. Don't try to do anything special," Carter warned.

Jack nodded and put his hands over the board. The lights in the ceiling winked on and off again in sync with the computer panels. They winked again and then a quiet hum signaled their return to life.

Jack smiled and lifted his hands away. "Anything else?" he asked with just a touch of cockiness.

"Not at the moment, sir." Carter reclaimed her place in front of the panel. "Looks like I was right," she said. "I have complete access to all systems."

"So, does it tell you what kind of structure this is?" Daniel asked.

"I'm looking," she said. Her fingers ran across a switch.

"Hello!" Daniel said loudly across the room.

Jack looked up. Daniel stood in front of a section of the wall that had lit up. It looked eerily familiar.

"Uh, guys?" Daniel said. "We're not alone here."

Jack stepped forward toward the object in the wall. When he was close enough he reached out and touched the cold, smooth surface. The last time he'd seen one of these…

"Is that what I think it is?" Carter asked from across the room.

"If you believe it is a cryo-chamber of the Ancients, Colonel Carter," Teal'c said, "then indeed you are correct." He and Bra'tac had moved to stand beside Daniel.

"And it appears to be occupied," Anise said.

Jack's eyes fell on the woman encapsulated within the large ice chamber. He knew Carter wouldn't call it ice. She'd explain it away using words like synthetic and carbo-something-or-other, but he knew from experience that it felt like ice. He'd already been to this rodeo.

The woman was dressed in the white robes of the Ancients. She was young. Probably about twenty-five give or take several thousand years. Her reddish golden hair hung in tight ringlets around her face. They reminded Jack of Daniel's ex. The snake head. Osiris.

Anise reached up and touched something on the side of the cryo-chamber. He threw her a dirty look. "Now, I don't remember anyone saying you could touch things."

She shrugged. "No one told me I could not."

"Semantics," Jack said.

"Sir!" Carter's voice drew his gaze. Her eyes focused on the woman now standing in the center of the room. She stood silent and still, her hands clasped formally in front of her.

Jack switched his gaze from the woman back to the frozen form behind him, then back again. It was her.

"Wait a minute." He wagged his finger at the figure and approached her. "I know this one." He reached her side. She had yet to move. He reached out his hand and waved it back and forth. It passed right through her.

"It's a hologram," Daniel said.

"Been there. Done that," Jack said.

"Can you hear us?" Carter asked. She moved around her computer panel and stood in front of the projection.

As if suddenly being drawn out of a daydream, the woman blinked and lowered her gaze to Carter. "I can," she said. Her voice was soft, but confident.

"Who are you?"

"I am Aisa," she said. "Guardian of the weapon and the portal to renewal."

"Aisa," Daniel mumbled. "I assumed Aisa _was_ the weapon."

The woman spoke again. "I am Aisa."

"We got that," Jack said. "Listen, there are a lot of bad guys on our tail and we're here looking for a power source. You wouldn't know where it is, would you?"

She turned her head to look at Jack. "I know of no power source. Only the weapon."

"The Destroyer of Worlds?" Daniel asked.

"I am Aisa."

"Yeah. We know," Jack said with a frustrated sigh. He turned to Carter. "Is she broken or something?"

Carter shrugged.

"I am…"

"Aisa, we got it." Jack moved around to her front. "We're looking for the power source."

"The Destroyer of Worlds powers the portal to renewal."

"Is that some kind of code?"

"I don't think so, Jack." Daniel motioned Jack to the back of the room where Bra'tac stood before an open door.

Jack took one more look at the hologram and stepped around her.

Daniel waited until Jack reached the door before continuing. "I think I know what the portal is."

Jack looked into the next room. It was large, like some sort of hanger bay. There weren't any ships inside, but he did recognize the outline of a set of rings in the floor. And behind them, stood a Stargate.

"I'll be damned," Jack muttered.

"We knew there was one here. Jacob escaped through it. I just didn't expect to find it _here_."

"It explains how Selmac managed to make it here and then off the planet without being snared in the traps," Anise said. "He used the rings to arrive directly at the Stargate's location."

"That doesn't make sense. Why bother with traps if the bad guys could just ring in and bypass the whole thing?" Jack asked.

The woman in the center of the room answered. "It was our intention to disable the ring platform once construction of the weapon was completed. The ascension of my sisters prevented that from happening."

"Your sisters?" Daniel asked. "You're one of the Moirae."

The woman nodded. "I am the fourth. I am Aisa."

"So," Carter said. "The sisters built the weapon and it powers the Stargate?"

"The weapon was built by the father. The sisters merely completed it. It was then hidden from the worlds by the Asgard Frigga."

"Who is the father?" Anise asked.

"The father is Prometheus."

Jack shook his head. "The F-303?"

"No, Jack," Daniel said. "Prometheus. Brother of Titan. They're gods. We only named our ship after him."

"Prometheus built the weapon. The sisters completed it and attempted to hide it away. They ascended and I was left here with Frigga. Then she left. I told the other everything and he promised no one else would find us."

"The other?"

"The other who was here before. He said he would ensure our secrecy and that no others would come."

"She speaks of Jacob Carter," Teal'c said.

"He was right," Carter said. "He did take action to ensure your secrecy, but a very bad man found out about your existence and started looking for you. We had to come and get to the weapon before he did."

"Then you have succeeded. I am Aisa."

"Again, we're back to this."

Jack saw sudden dawning in Carter's eyes. "Just a minute, sir." She moved behind the computer panel again. "I'm willing to bet the weapon is nearby. If Aisa was left behind to guard it, she wouldn't be too far away." Her fingers flew over the buttons.

"Makes sense," Jack said.

The woman cocked her head in confusion. "You need not search," she said. "I am Aisa. You are here."

"Yes," Jack nodded. "Wherever you go, there you are."

Carter's hands stilled and her eyes widened. "Sir."

"Carter?"

"She's right. We don't have to look for the weapon."

"We don't?"

"No, sir, it's right here."

"It's somewhere in this room," Jack said haltingly.

"No. It _is_ this room."

"Come again?"

"Actually, it's a lot larger than the room, sir."

The rest of the group circled around behind Sam so they could see the panel.

"This is no moon," Carter said.

Jack's eyebrows lifted. "It's a space station?"

Teal'c nodded appreciatively. "Indeed."

"The entire moon is man-made. It's generating incredible amounts of energy in its power stores and they're all routed into this room." Carter pointed to the cryo-chamber. "Into that."

The woman in the center of the room smiled. "I am Aisa. I am the Destroyer of Worlds."

ooooooooooooo

Chapter 35 is on the way.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: **I am finished! I sent the epilogue off to the lovely sbz today. All remaining chapters will be posted tomorrow (actually, that's today now) or extremely early Wednesday morning. Just in time to beat the new year! Yay!

**Disclaimer: **I would love to claim them, but I can't. I can sort of claim Aisa, though.

**Warning! **If you don't go see "Bedtime Stories," you're missing out.

oooooooooooooo

_The rest of the group circled around behind Sam so they could see the panel._

_"This is no moon," Carter said._

_Jack's eyebrows lifted. "It's a space station?"_

_Teal'c nodded appreciatively. "Indeed."_

_"The entire moon is man-made. It's generating incredible amounts of energy in its power stores and they're all routed into this room." Carter pointed to the cryo-chamber. "Into that."_

_The woman in the center of the room smiled. "I am Aisa. I am the Destroyer of Worlds."_

oooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

Pierce became aware gradually. The first thing he noticed was a sting in his cheek… which was odd considering he hadn't hit it against the tree.

"Come on, Ben, snap to," a voice drifted in and out. "I know ya got your bell rung, but we've gotta go." He felt another light smack across his cheek.

"Gotta go where?" Pierce felt the words all run together in his mouth and they sounded funny in his own ears. "And cut that out."

"You're one lucky bastard, Pierce," the voice told him. He cracked his eyes open and saw Colonel Reynolds's face hovering above. The face smiled. "That's right," he said, "we're moving out and I'd rather not have to carry you."

"What happened?" The grogginess was beginning to wear away. It was quickly replaced by the fire in his ribs every time he tried to draw a breath. He recognized the pain right away. And the gurgle in his lungs when he breathed. Broken rib, punctured lung.

"You decided to do a little landscaping in the clearing," Reynolds said. He looked at something behind Pierce and nodded. Pierce guessed he was communicating with another SG member. "Blew it to smithereens, Ben."

Pierce chuckled and regretted it in his chest. "Damn bazooka had some kick to it."

"I see that."

Two more men came into sight. They laid down a litter next to Pierce.

"Damn," Pierce said when he saw it.

"I was joking about carrying you, Ben," Reynolds said. "You're in pretty bad shape."

Pierce nodded. "Lung's punctured," he said, "I know."

Reynolds frowned. "Moving you is dangerous. We need to keep you as still as we can. I'd have Prometheus transport you to their infirmary, but we're not able to reach them."

"That can't be good."

"Could mean a lot of things." The Colonel glanced back up and nodded to the men. They moved to Pierce's head and side.

He felt hands on him and then he was rolled onto his left side. He felt pain in his ribs and lung, but fought against making a sound. A third man he couldn't see shifted the litter behind him and then the other two lowered him again to his back so he lay on the small cot. They began strapping him to it.

"Where are we going?" Pierce asked again.

"You took out all the Jaffa in the clearing along with the rings. We won't be getting any more visitors—at least not that way, anyway." He nodded to the men again and Pierce felt himself lifted off the ground. "A number of them got past our line, though. We're falling back to the wreckage of a ship about a click and a half inside the forest to try to hold that position. Most of the teams are already there. Once we join them, we'll set off the charges here to try to make the enemy's progress a little more difficult."

"How do you know they're still in the area?" Pierce asked.

"I'm going with the assumption that we know where SG-1 is and they don't."

Pierce nodded the best he could with his head strapped to the litter. He was starting to feel a little dizzy and knew he was about to lose his battle with unconsciousness.

"Take care of my men, Colonel," he said.

Reynolds patted his shoulder. "You know I will, Major."

The edges of his vision dimmed and Pierce closed his eyes. He hated leaving a battle early.

OoOoOoOoO

"As soon as the Tok'ra ship passes through the shield, we need to book it out of dodge as fast as we can," Cam said into his comm. "We don't want to be here when the Daniel Jackson and Prometheus open fire."

"Impact with shields is in thirty seconds," Griff reported from the seat behind him.

Cam nodded. "Here we go, folks. Diamond formations one through three cut left. Groups four and five, to the right. On my mark."

He watched the Tel'tak coast steadily toward the shield. His readout on the panel in front of him displayed a clear line of where the shield was even though he couldn't see it with the naked eye. The little blip moved closer to the line. He watched it for the exact moment the two intersected. He looked up through his canopy window to make sure the ship remained intact after its impact with the shield.

"Looks like our Tok'ra friends were right about being able to coast through," he said. "Let's go."

He pulled his F-302 into a hard bank to the right. His monitor showed the rest of his formation right with him. Two others followed close behind. "Prometheus," he radioed in. "We're clear. Good luck on your end."

"Thank you, blue leader," a female voice answered. "We need you and Red Squadron to keep the flies off our back while we try to make this fight a fair one."

"Roger," he said. "Blue Squadron… move in to protect Prometheus."

OoOoOoOoO

Colonel Caldwell watched the Prometheus and the Daniel Jackson move into position. He ordered the Daedalus to continue shooting into the fray while it waited for word from Colonel Pendergast.

"Wait until the last second so we can be sure the Tok'ra can make any necessary course corrections, and then transport them to the bridge."

Captain Kleinman nodded.

"Sir," Major Grant said.

"What is it?"

"I'm picking up a signal from the surface of the moon."

"A signal?" Caldwell stood and moved behind the Major so he could see the readings on her panel. "One of ours?"

She shook her head. "No, sir." She continued to type on her keyboard. "According to these readings and the information we have on file from recent events, it appears to be the same type of signal Colonel Carter was generating while she had the marker in her blood."

"I thought they neutralized that."

Grant nodded. "They did."

"And they gave the General the same cocktail?"

Again, she nodded.

"So, who could be transmitting?"

"I don't know, sir. All SGC personnel were checked either before we left Earth or en route. We even cleared Master Bra'tac."

"Well, someone's got to be carrying it. It's lighting their position up like a damned beacon."

"Transporting Tok'ra crew now," Kleinman said.

There was a flash of light and four Tok'ra appeared in the open space in front of the two seated bridge officers and their panels.

Major Grant turned to Caldwell and he saw sudden dawning light her eyes.

He knew exactly why. "Call down to SG-1. I know there's interference, but keep trying until you get through. We need to warn them."

Grant nodded and turned back to her computer. "Yes, sir."

OoOoOoOoO

"You are the Destroyer of Worlds?" Daniel asked the hologram.

She nodded. "I am Aisa."

"Would you quit with the name already?" Jack asked.

Carter looked up from the computer. "You control the weapon?"

"Yes," she said.

"Great. Can you destroy it, too?"

The hologram turned back to Jack. "I can. I will not."

"Why not?"

"This weapon is the last effort of my people to rid our galaxy of the scourge."

"What scourge?"

"The race that has fed off our people and those around us for many centuries. Our war with them is not going well. Should the time of our defeat come, we will use the weapon to cleanse the galaxy and start anew."

"You're talking about the Wraith," Carter said.

"I hate to tell you this, lady, but your kind sort of changed its priorities while you were sleeping."

Aisa nodded. "Ascension. My sisters and our father all decided to follow that path as well. I was left behind to guard that which we had created. It was not yet completed when we were forced to flee Atlantis and by the time it was ready, ascension was within our reach."

"Destruction of the Wraith would have put a crimp in your plans," Daniel said.

"It is as you say. Mass destruction of our galaxy would have soured us, making ascension an impossibility."

"Whoa, wait a minute," Jack said. "Destruction of your _galaxy_?"

"We would have cleansed the galaxy with the weapon and then stepped through the portal of renewal."

"This is sounding an awful lot like the weapon on Dakara," Daniel said.

Aisa shook her head. "The device on Dakara was--in the minds of most--meant to bring life, not death. Its destructive capabilities were only discussed after we hid _this_ weapon away. And while that weapon is more refined, it is stationary and cannot power the portal."

"If what you have said is true, you do not merely speak of killing the Wraith. You would have destroyed all life in the Pegasus galaxy with the weapon?" Anise asked.

"Again, none of us was able to make that decision in the end."

Bra'tac stepped forward, disgust written on his face. "And if you had, what would have stopped someone else from taking your weapon after you left and using it to destroy you?"

"The amount of energy needed to reach through the portal is immense. Its activation would destroy this weapon and all within its orbit."

Carter shook her head. "I don't understand. We've dialed a Gate using eight chevrons. We've even dialed the Pegasus galaxy. It's never overloaded our system, and I can't see how it would cause the reaction you're talking about."

"I do not speak of travel to the Pegasus galaxy. After the use of the weapon it would be a great amount of time before that galaxy would be ready to be repopulated. The ninth symbol directs the portal to a location much more distant." She turned her head so she could speak directly to Bra'tac. "As for your question, it is not a flaw that the weapon will be destroyed when the portal is activated."

"You did it on purpose," Carter said.

"Yes. We would not activate the portal unless the weapon's purposed had been served. Therefore, we would not wish to return. We also would not wish to leave it for others to use, so we lined the circuitry leading from the power core to the portal with a more volatile man-made form of Naquadah."

Carter's eyes lit with understanding. "Naquadria," she said. "Any destination that requires the portal to draw its energy from the moon instead of the DHD would cause a massive explosion." Her eyes narrowed with confusion. "But that would happen within seconds of the Gate's activation. There wouldn't be enough time for you to thaw out of the cryo-chamber and get through the Gate."

"True." Aisa blinked and lowered her gaze. "Even were it not so, I would have been long dead."

"Why?" Carter asked.

"We designed the weapon, but knew its power was not to be taken lightly. If it fell in the wrong hands, that person could use it to intimidate or destroy in order to gain power. We built in a fail safe to prevent such a thing."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "What kind of fail safe?"

"The weapon must take a life in order to be activated. It disperses the user's molecules upon discharge. Since I am the person in the chamber," she nodded to her body, "I am the one who will be destroyed should I choose to fire the weapon."

"Your reasoning is flawed," Teal'c said. "Were someone such as Ba'al to seize control of the weapon, he could still access its power without sacrificing his own life."

"There are many who would be willing to die for their god," Anise agreed.

"Or he could just shove someone inside," Jack said.

Aisa nodded. "We do realize there is no sure way to prevent evil from using the weapon should it choose to. The best we could do was discourage its activation in this way. We knew of the Goa'uld almost immediately upon our arrival in this galaxy. We tried to add extra precautions to make entrance to this chamber more difficult."

"We noticed." Carter absently reached up to rub the goose egg on the back of her head.

Aisa's face grew confused. "You are Goa'uld?"

"No," Bra'tac said. "Teal'c and I are Jaffa."

"The Jaffa serve the Goa'uld," she said. "They are the incubators of evil."

Teal'c shook his head. "We have earned our freedom from the Goa'uld. We no longer carry their symbiotes."

Her head cocked to the side. She pointed to Carter. "Then what of her?"

"I was taken as host by a Tok'ra, but she sacrificed herself to save my life. She is no longer inside me."

"The Tok'ra are a myth," Aisa said with a shake of her head.

"We are not," Anise said. She stepped forward. "I am Tok'ra, as was Jacob Carter."

Aisa took a moment to process the information. "Jacob Carter was kind to me," she said. She then looked pointedly at Anise. "The Tok'ra are welcome here."

Anise nodded her thanks.

"That's a nice sentiment and all," Jack said, "but there's a snakehead out there somewhere who really wants this weapon so he can use it to step through that gate." He pointed to the open door at the back of the room. "We have to do something to keep him from getting it."

"Why would he want to go...?"

"He seems to think there is something more powerful than this on the other end," Carter said.

Aisa pursed her lips. "There is," she said. "Much more powerful, but…"

"That is exactly what I wanted to hear."

Jack cringed at the sound of the familiar voice that was altogether too nearby.

"Daedalus to SG-1." All the radios crackled to life at the same time. Major Grant's voice filled the small room.

Jack reached up slowly to depress the button on his radio. "Go ahead," he said.

"We've picked up a transmission. It's giving away your location."

Jack's eyebrows raised and he met Carter's wary gaze. "Oh?"

"There's a good chance Ba'al has already discovered where you are."

"Thanks, Major Grant," Jack said calmly, "but we already figured that one out." He released the button on his radio and turned around so he faced the figure standing in the entryway to the control room.

"It must be nice to know you have such a dedicated group of men and women looking out for your well-being, General O'Neill." Ba'al smiled smugly. "It's just too bad that dedication doesn't always translate into competence."

oooooooooooooo

Three chapters and an epilogue to go!


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: **Here you go. I'm not going to bore you with a lot of talk.

**Disclaimer! **It's been said.

**Warning! **You'll shoot your eye out. (So how many of you know that reference?)

oooooooooooooooo

_Jack reached up slowly to depress the button on his radio. "Go ahead," he said._

_"We've picked up a transmission. It's giving away your location."_

_Jack's eyebrows raised and he met Carter's wary gaze. "Oh?"_

_"There's a good chance Ba'al has already discovered where you are."_

_"Thanks, Major Grant," Jack said calmly, "but we already figured that one out." He released the button on his radio and turned around so he faced the figure standing in the entryway to the control room._

_"It must be nice to know you have such a dedicated group of men and women looking out for your well-being, General O'Neill." Ba'al smiled smugly. "It's just too bad that dedication doesn't always translate into competence."_

oooooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

"You're like bad Mexican food, Ba'al," Jack said. "The minute you think you're done with dinner, it comes right back uninvited."

Ba'al chuckled and stepped fully into the room. Several Kull warriors followed him. Jack had a sneaking suspicion all of them were the genuine article.

"Oh, come now, General," Ba'al said. "You can't say it hasn't been just a little fun." He looked pointedly at Carter and winked.

Jack felt rage bubble up, but forced it back. "Oh, a hoot," he said sarcastically.

Ba'al looked around the room, his smile growing wider. "Magnificent," he said. "There were times, I must admit, I wondered if I would ever see it." He ran the palm of his hand across a panel.

"You won't live long enough to use it," Jack said.

This earned an outright laugh. Ba'al walked casually along the walls of the room and wagged his finger playfully towards Jack. "That's why I like you so much, O'Neill. Your sense of humor. I have to say, I'm going to miss it."

"Am I to assume this is the evil man you spoke of?" Aisa asked. Neither her posture nor facial expression had changed.

Carter nodded. "This is Ba'al."

Ba'al bowed a greeting and continued around the room. He leaned through the doorway at the back and nodded with satisfaction when he saw the Stargate. His drones remained just inside the entrance at the ready.

"You are Goa'uld," Aisa said.

Ba'al's eyes flashed. "I am."

She shook her head. "There are safeguards against…"

"Indeed there were. It was apparent my dear friends here had quite the difficult time reaching this room." Ba'al turned to Carter and bowed. "I am thankful for your efforts to lead the way so valiantly. It made my travel here quite effortless."

"You will not be allowed to use the weapon," the hologram declared.

Apparently finished with his exploration, Ba'al finally made his way over to Aisa. He waved his hand through her to assure himself his assumption was correct and then leaned in close to her face. "You cannot stop me."

"You do not have the ability to turn it on."

Ba'al pointed to Jack. "No, but he does."

Jack stood up straighter. "Not on your life."

"He could not, anyway," Aisa said. "He was able to activate the systems for the station, but the weapon must be initialized using a component that is no longer here."

Ba'al's eyes lit with recognition. "Jacob Carter."

Aisa nodded.

Ba'al stood in place. His eyes stared ahead, but his attention seemed to be focused inward. Jack wondered what was going on inside that twisted brain. After a moment, Ba'al stood taller and turned to look at the group. He smiled again.

"Damned Tok'ra," he said. He walked past Anise toward Jack, purposely brushing roughly against her shoulder as he passed. "You can't trust 'em, can you O'Neill?" He stopped at the bank of computers just in front of the General and leaned his elbow casually against its surface. He turned and looked back at Anise. "Always looking out for themselves, am I right?"

He flicked his eyed back to Jack again. "How's the alliance gone so far, huh? Do they play well with others, or do you find yourself always getting the short end of the stick?"

"I'm touched you're so concerned we're getting a fair shake, Ba'al."

Ba'al nodded. "Oh, but I _am_ concerned." He drew his gaze once again to Anise.

Jack couldn't be sure, but he thought Anise shifted uncomfortably under Ba'al's stare.

"You see," Ba'al continued, "I've had my share of dealings with the Tok'ra." He glanced at Carter. "And I do mean dealings." He grinned and stood tall. "Take this latest one, for example…"

"The latest one?" Carter asked.

"You didn't know?" Ba'al said with feigned surprise. "Why, Anise—you didn't tell them?"

All eyes turned to the Tok'ra. She stood silently and glared at Ba'al.

"No doubt she didn't want to damage your peoples' relationship-- that has up until now proven to be such a lucrative arrangement-- by coming to you with something as inconvenient as the truth," he continued.

"The transmission," Carter said. Her eyes narrowed on Anise's face. "It's you, isn't it?"

Anise nodded. "I can explain."

"She can explain!" Ba'al hooted. He strutted up to Anise and put his arm around her shoulders. "Why don't you explain to the nice Tau'ri how your people betrayed them?"

"We did not betray them," she said tightly.

"Oh? I'd be curious to see what your definition of the word is, then," Ba'al said. He looked to Jack. "She's been lying to you for quite a while, O'Neill. It's her fault you're here."

OoOoOoOoO

Colonel Reynolds crouched behind the felled Tel'tak, eyes on the trees around him. He hated waiting. They'd tucked Pierce inside the damaged ship for safety just before the sound of crunching grass and breaking twigs had sent them to ground.

They hadn't heard anything since. The entire forest was still. Unnaturally so, Reynolds thought. The calm before the storm. He didn't know how many drones had pushed past their line at the clearing, but even a few would present a challenge. The battle had already drawn out longer than anticipated and the charges on their disruptors were starting to fade. Half of the men had been forced to switch to projectiles; bullets that wouldn't do a damn thing to take down a drone.

And they had to hold the line. There was only one more place to fall back to, and he'd rather not take this battle to SG-1's doorstep.

Just ahead, something in the trees moved. Reynolds reached up to his radio. "Heads up," he whispered. "Visual contact at one o'clock."

"Copy, sir," Garcia answered. "Visual contact at three and five o'clock."

"I've got three at nine and ten," another man reported.

A sharp blast took out the tree directly behind Reynolds. He glanced back at the sizzling bark. "We've been spotted!" he called into the radio. Another blast, then another whizzed past him, followed by sound of the SG teams' return fire.

"They're on the move!" he heard Garcia report.

"Hold 'em back! Don't let them break through!"

OoOoOoOoO

Cam's ship shook with the impact of glider wreckage across its hood. "Whoa!" he called. "That was crispy!"

"Try not to cut it so close next time, will ya?" Griff snapped from behind.

"Just making it interesting," Cam said with a smile. "Prometheus," he said into his helmet. "It's getting a little tight out here. How soon before you have a go?"

"The Tok'ra Tel'tak should impact the Ha'tak's generator in thirty seconds."

Cam nodded.

"Five gliders making a run for Prometheus," Griff called from behind.

"Where?"

"Under her belly. Four o'clock."

Cam looked at his view screen and spotted the blips. "Got 'em." He rolled away from his current position and targeted the lead bird in the attacking formation. "Fox two."

The ship kicked a bit as Griff launched a missile. Cam watched its progress on his screen and out his window. The missile made a straight flight right into the lead ship. It exploded in a ball of fire and took out two more.

"We've got two more," Cam said.

"I'll take the one on the left," he heard.

"Fine, blue seven," Cam answered. "I've got the other."

"All clear for weapons fire," the weapons officer from Prometheus reported. All the F-302's disengaged and rushed out of the line of fire. A flash of light shot from both the Prometheus and the Daniel Jackson at the same time. Cam watched the beams streak toward the Ha'tak. The ship inside the shield collided with the Ha'tak at the same moment the two energy weapons crossed the horizon of the shield. The explosion was massive. It shot flames and debris into space and the shield winked out.

Cam gave a shout and pounded his fist against his window. "That's the way it's done!"

"Bogey is getting away," Griff reminded him.

"Right," he said, still smiling. He rolled the ship toward the escaping glider and put on a burst of speed.

Behind him, the Ha'taks, having lost their protection, moved apart and released the rest of their gliders.

OoOoOoOoO

"You mislead them, twist things around," Anise said, frowning at Ba'al.

"Well, I don't see you doing any talking," Daniel said.

Anise sighed and shrugged away Ba'al's arm. She stepped toward the team and lowered her gaze. "The Tok'ra have known there was a weapon from the beginning. I misled you regarding how badly injured the Tok'ra who accompanied Selmac on the mission was. He did escape and manage to find us—me, actually—on a planet nearby. I was on a scientific outing when I recognized him. I brought him back to the Tok'ra base where he told us everything."

Carter shook her head. "I don't understand. If he told you everything, then why all the subterfuge? Why not just come here and be done with it?"

"Two things prevented us from doing just that. Our friend could not remember where the weapon was. He was injured much of the time he was here and his perceptions were clouded."

"And the second?" Teal'c asked.

Carter tilted her head. "Dad."

Anise nodded. "You are correct, Colonel Carter. Your father took measures to make the weapon not only unreachable, but also incomplete. Even if we found it, we could not make it work."

"Where does jumbo jerk here fit into all of this?" Jack asked. He jabbed his thumb towards Ba'al.

"There were not two Tok'ra in attendance during Jacob Carter's mission, but three."

"This just keeps getting better and better," Jack said.

Ba'al moved to the wall, where he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, seemingly satisfied to watch.

"We learned that the third died during interrogation."

"So, you set out to find out if he told Ba'al anything important."

Anise nodded. "I was dispatched to make Ba'al an offer in exchange for information regarding the weapon."

"What did you offer him?" Carter asked.

"A truce," Anise said, "and complete disclosure on both sides in regards to anything connected to the whereabouts of this moon."

Daniel shook his head; his voice was tinged with anger. "You betrayed us."

"It was never our intent to do so. When we had learned everything we needed from Ba'al, we planned to kill him. He was to never have stepped foot in this room."

Bra'tac's eyes narrowed. "The information that caused the Jaffa to attempt the assassination… that was you?"

Anise nodded. "The Tok'ra have known about your spy for some time and merely leaked what was necessary to instigate his activation."

"Then you have betrayed the Jaffa as well," Teal'c said.

"We were trying to right a wrong--"

"You were trying to cover your asses," Jack said.

"The retrieval of this weapon will safeguard this galaxy for _everyone_."

"Yeah," Jack said, "and I'll bet you were going to run right out and tell us everything once you found the moon."

Anise had no answer. She just stepped forward, a little desperation in her voice. "I never meant for it to go this far. _We_ never meant for it…"

"But it did," Carter interrupted. There was a sudden understanding in her eyes. "You didn't know where the weapon was. The only information you had to share in regards to its whereabouts was that my dad was here."

Jack's head shot up as he followed Carter's reasoning. "You gave Ba'al Carter." Anger bloomed in his chest. His head felt suddenly hot and he balled his hands into fists.

"We did not know what she knew, and Ba'al promised to release her as soon as he learned the extent of her collaboration with her father."

Carter's voice was calm. Cold. "But you _knew_," she said. "You _knew_ how he'd 'learn' that information and you still told him where I was." She raised her eyes to meet Anise's. "Did it ever occur to you to just ask?"

"We couldn't be certain you'd tell us, and once the question was presented…"

"We'd know about the weapon and you'd have to share," Daniel finished for her.

"And I suppose once you and Ba'al learned Carter didn't know anything, you had her injected with the enzyme so she could be tracked and then gave us enough information so we could go on your little scavenger hunt for you." Jack said. He took a step forward, but was stopped by Carter's warning look. She was right. They weren't in any position yet to act.

"Initially, no," she said. "We did not want you to gain any more information than Colonel Carter already knew. Ba'al's questions were to be vague and unrevealing… but there was a mistake."

"One of many, I am sure," Bra'tac said.

"One of the guards who first interrogated Colonel Carter let slip guiding information."

Carter nodded. "He told me Ba'al was looking for a power source to dial using nine symbols."

"Exactly. Once he revealed that information, we knew you wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to discover the rest. There was no way to avoid your involvement from that point on, so our priorities changed from keeping you out of the loop to ensuring that you never became aware of how much we were involved."

"And you see how well that worked out," Jack said sarcastically. "It would have been easier if you'd just killed us."

She looked pointedly at Jack. "We are not barbarians, General."

He crossed his arms. "Oh, I'm beginning to have some serious doubts about that."

Anise pursed her lips and continued. "I was to stay behind and pass along information to Ba'al. We had to keep up the ruse so he wouldn't suspect anything. His assassination would have assured our ability to retrieve the weapon and keep from you our unfortunate choices of late."

"Your people sure have a funny definition of loyalty," Daniel said.

"Dad was right to hide the weapon from you," Carter said with controlled anger.

"The important thing is," Ba'al interrupted. He pushed himself away from the wall and walked back into the center of the room, "…that she was a good little Tok'ra and did everything she was told to do." He stopped in front of Carter and looked down at her defiant face. "So I know you have the missing piece of the puzzle."

Carter's eyes flashed and she produced an overly sweet smile. "You should know by now, Ba'al, that I'm not going to give you anything. You played your hand too early. You should have waited until we powered up." She turned and shook her head at Jack. "And I thought he was supposed to be smart."

Ba'al's demeanor changed instantly from smug to angry. He hauled back with his fist to hit her in the face.

Carter reached up defensively and deflected the strike away with her forearm. He was much stronger than she was, though. He pushed against her arm and she flew back against the panel behind her and fell hard to the floor.

He stood over her as she pushed herself up. He sneered. "I've had enough talk. I want that crystal, Colonel Carter, and if you won't give it to me, I'll just have to take it." He raised his hand and Jack saw that at some point he'd slipped on a hand device. Ba'al's eyes narrowed. "Which will it be? Acquiescence or agony?"

ooooooooooooo

Two more plus an epilogue to go!


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: **Told ya they'd be posted fast. :0)

**Disclaimer: **Said it.

**Warning! **Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

oooooooooooo

_Ba'al's demeanor changed instantly from smug to angry. He hauled back with his fist to hit her in the face._

_Carter reached up defensively and deflected the strike away with her forearm. He was much stronger than she was, though. He pushed against her arm and she flew back against the panel behind her and fell hard to the floor._

_He stood over her as she pushed herself up. He sneered. "I've had enough talk. I want that crystal, Colonel Carter, and if you won't give it to me, I'll just have to take it." He raised his hand and Jack saw that at some point he'd slipped on a hand device. Ba'al's eyes narrowed. "Which will it be? Acquiescence or agony?"_

oooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

Everyone moved at once.

Jack raised his gun and took out the closest drone with the disruptor. Teal'c and Bra'tac pushed forward together. Their target was Ba'al.

The three remaining drones raised their arm weapons and targeted the two Jaffa as well as Jack.

Before they could fire, a large wave pushed out from the wall and passed through the people in the room. Jack felt an odd stirring as it moved past him. His eyes widened as he watched it literally grab hold of Ba'al and lift him off the floor.

Ba'al yelled out in surprise and struggled within the wave's grasp. The wave continued through the room, taking the writhing Goa'uld and snatching his drones as well. It swept them out into the hallway and then settled like a shield across the door.

Finding himself excised from the party, Ba'al pounded his fist against the boundary. Jack saw his mouth open as if shouting, but he heard no noise through the barrier.

Shocked, the team turned to take stock of the situation.

Jack spotted her first. She was hunched over the panel farthest back in the room as if standing was difficult. Her head hung limply, hair covering her face, and her shoulders shook as she drew deep breaths. The cryo-chamber behind her was dark and empty.

"What did you do?" he asked.

She looked up and he noticed her powder blue eyes. "It is one of the defenses we built into to the moon's systems. It instantly removes unwanted people from the room, but it could not be activated from within the chamber."

"Why didn't you kick her out, too?" Jack motioned to Anise, who stood still away from the rest.

"I said the Tok'ra are welcome here," Aisa answered.

"Didn't you just hear her? She sold us out. She's the reason _they're_ here." He pointed to Ba'al and the drones, still trying to force their way in.

"I am aware of the situation, however, there is not much time to discuss it," Aisa said. "I have assessed the situation. The sensors have detected that battles rage on the surface as well as in the skies above. The danger to the weapon is real."

"That's what we tried to tell you," Daniel said.

Aisa nodded. "I have decided it is best to destroy the weapon."

"Finally, someone sees reason," Jack said. "How do we do that?"

"I will activate the portal."

"Which will set off the Naquadria deposits in the circuitry," Carter said.

Aisa nodded.

"Great," Jack said, satisfied. "Dial away."

"It is not that simple," Aisa said. She used the panels as support and moved across the room to the one where Carter stood. "Jacob Carter disabled the portal when he left this place."

Carter moved out of her way and watched the Ancient activate several sections of the panel. "I can fix it," she said. She looked up at Jack and raised her shoulders in a shrug. "I think."

"You will need to hurry. The shield will not hold them long. The station has not had time enough to charge it properly," Aisa warned.

"So, Sam fixes the Stargate and we just dial?" Daniel asked.

Aisa shook her head. "The weapon must be fired in order to generate the energy necessary to dial the 'Stargate.'"

"Whoa, wait a minute there." Jack held up a finger. "You said the weapon will wipe out the galaxy."

"No," Aisa said. "It can be fired on a lower setting and aimed much like a traditional weapon. It does not matter, however. I do not have the crystal that enables the weapon to charge."

Carter shook her head and opened up the front pocket on her vest. She reached inside and came up with the red crystal. "You mean this?"

Aisa's eyes widened. "Jacob Carter gave it to you?"

"In a manner of speaking," Carter said. She put the crystal in Aisa's outstretched hand.

Aisa moved a bit more fluidly to another column of computers. In the center sat an empty port the same size and shape as the crystal. She placed it carefully inside and the column hummed to life. She looked back up at Carter. "You need to go repair the portal."

Carter nodded and turned to go. "Sir?" she called as she left the room.

"Right behind ya Carter," he said.

OoOoOoOoO

The weapon from the lead Ha'tak shot at the Prometheus, just missing its hull.

Colonel Pendergast cursed and held on as Kirkland took the ship into a heavy dive to avoid the shot. "We may have gotten rid of that shield, but if we don't do anything about that weapon, this'll still be a real short party."

"The F-302 squadrons are getting pounded, sir," Major Grant said.

Pendergast shook his head. The newest barrage of gliders released from the enemy ships took the numbers and tipped the scale. He estimated there were about thirty gliders out there for every F-302.

Another blast shot out from the Ha'tak. This time it flew past the Prometheus and scored a direct hit on the Daniel Jackson. Thor's shields, having already been weakened, folded under the blast. The left side took the hit; fire blew out from the newly exposed deck.

"Check Thor's status and get me Colonel Caldwell." The ship shook as it took another volley from one of the other Ha'tak. The shields swallowed most of the impact, but not all. A panel blew out from the side and flames licked up the wall. Red lights flashed and the fire alarm sounded.

"Pull back to the Daedalus and somebody put out that fire!" Pendergast shouted over the noise.

OoOoOoOoO

"Red Leader, pull up!" Cam shouted. He watched the F-302 bank left and pull up hard, exposing the bird that chased it to the one that had been coming head on. The two ships collided, tossing Red Leader for a bit before he was finally able to gain control.

"Thanks, Blue leader."

"I expect beer, Ryan. Lots and lots of beer."

Cam heard an answering chuckle. "It's a deal."

"Seven more headed for us," Griff interrupted with a curse. "They're everywhere, Cam!"

"Just means we get to have more fun, Griff."

"Well, there are seven to play with. They're coming in formation."

"I see them," Cam said. He turned the nose so it matched the oncoming ships head on.

"Uh, Cam," Griff said nervously, "I don't think they're the type to bend in a game of chicken."

"They don't need to bend. They need to keep coming just like they are," Cam said.

The ships continued forward, but he held firm until the last second. He let loose a wide spray and then sent his ship into a forward dive.

The enemy scattered around him to avoid the weapons fire. He circled in a loop that took him directly behind three of the group.

Griff let loose with his weapon and took out the one on the right. The other two peeled away and Cam sent his ship chasing after the closest.

"Cam, look out!" Griff called. The proximity alarm blared. He didn't have time to look for the problem, he just banked hard. An F-302 spun by, its wing on fire. He heard the scrape of metal and felt a tug as its wing dragged across his nose.

In less than a second, the pressure released and the 302 continued its spin. He watched it go until it disappeared into a ball of fire against the closest Ha'tak.

Cam closed his eyes and kicked in his engine again, the bogey he'd been chasing still on his screen. "Who was that?" he asked.

"Red four, I think," Griff answered.

Cam nodded tightly and pushed it from his mind. "Let's go get us a snake," he said. And the pursuit was back on.

Suddenly the glider dove and disappeared off his screen.

"Where'd it go?" Griff asked.

Cam had a feeling. "Oh, no," he said through tight lips. "You do not play my own trick on me."

He put on the brakes and felt the pull of his harness dig into his chest. The unsuspecting Jaffa shot from underneath him and he picked it off with a well-aimed shot.

In the distance, space opened up into the blue horizon of a hyper-drive field.

Cam's eyes widened as roughly twenty ships-- mostly Tel'taks—were spat out into the area just outside the battlefield.

"No. No," Cam said. His heart filled with dread. There was no way they could handle that kind of fire power when they were already barely hanging on as it was.

His radio crackled to life and a deep voice came through the channel.

"This is Rak'nor of the Free Jaffa. We have come to offer assistance as we promised Teal'c and Master Bra'tac."

Cam's face broke out into a full grin as he heard the answer through his helmet. "This is Prometheus, Rak'nor. We thank you for your offer and officially invite you to come on in and join the party."

OoOoOoOoO

"I think I've got it!" Sam said from her position at the bottom of the DHD.

Jack shifted on his feet above her. "So, what was the problem?"

"It looks like dad overloaded the gate when he turned it on. It allowed him to step through, but effectively shut off the gate on this end once he was through." She accepted his hand up and brushed off her pants. "All it needed was a little jerry rigging, and we're good to go."

"Even considering the amount of energy we plan to send through that thing?"

She raised her eyebrows and gave a shrug. "Only one way to find out."

"That'll be some game of Russian roulette if you're wrong there, Carter."

"Then I'd better not be wrong."

He looked over to the Stargate and shook his head. Why did it always have to come down to the wire like this? Just once, he'd like things to go off like clockwork.

"So, anything else here we think ought to go with us?" He gestured to the stacks of crates around the large warehouse of a room. There was no way to know what was inside them, but in a structure like this one, there was sure to be enough in them to keep Daniel salivating over them for weeks.

She sighed. "I'm sure there is, but we don't know what shape Prometheus is in at the moment. I'd hate to ask them to take on extra cargo."

"So, I guess it all goes bye-bye when the moon does," Jack said.

"I'm afraid so, sir."

Jack threw a skeptical glance toward the doorway to the control room. "Do you think she'll really do it?"

Carter thought a moment and nodded. "She seems on the level. She didn't stay here to safeguard the weapon for thousands of years just to hand it over to Ba'al."

"Yeah. I guess so." He stuck his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight again. "She's gonna die, you know."

"She's been prepared for that, too. I don't doubt she'll do it."

Jack nodded. "Good enough for me." He led the way back to join the others.

Daniel sat in the corner reading whatever it was he was reading on one of the computer screens. Bra'tac and Teal'c stared stiffly out the entrance at Ba'al and his super soldiers. Jack couldn't make out what they were doing. Anise was helping Aisa prepare the weapon.

Anise. Just thinking her name put a sour taste in Jack's mouth. When they got back to the SGC, there were going to be a lot of things to talk about concerning their so called alliance with the Tok'ra.

Aisa looked much better than she had when she first exited the chamber. There was color in her cheeks and she stood completely under her own power. She glanced up as they entered. "The weapon is almost ready. I have attempted to target the largest Ha'tak above. Once the weapon is unleashed, there will only be a short window of time to use the energy stored within these walls to activate the portal. I have input the address into the computer. It will automatically dial the address once enough energy has been collected."

Carter nodded. "How much time will we have before the moon is destroyed once the Stargate has been activated?"

"The energy will overload the circuitry inside the moon within seconds," Aisa said. "Since your ships will have to move out of transporter range to avoid being caught in the explosion, I will use the moon's transporter to send you to them. It is much more powerful than the Asgard version I detect in your vessels."

Sam put her weapon down on the console while Aisa showed her how everything would work in case she needed assistance when the time came to fire the weapon. Jack tried to follow, but it quickly became a Carter kind of conversation.

"O'Neill!"

Jack looked up and saw Teal'c and Bra'tac take a flying leap away from the doorway. The explosion was almost instantaneous. It rocked the floor and sent debris and fire into the room. Bits of the ceiling fell to the floor and Jack covered his head.

The drones came into the room firing. Aisa screamed as a shot caught her in the chest. She fell. The smell of her burning flesh reached Jack's nose. He looked up from the dead Ancient on the floor to Carter's horror filled eyes. As if in slow motion, he followed her gaze to the doorway where he saw a drone's energy blast spit from its outstretched wrist and fly straight for him.

"No!" A female voice screamed just before a presence appeared in front of him. Anise shoved him to the floor; she jerked with the impact of the blast that caught her full in the stomach. She fell and remained still.

Daniel fired his disruptor at the drone. It stumbled and kept moving. Carter caught it with a second shot and it dropped. The other two drones stepped over it and continued into the room.

"Fall back to the other room!" Carter yelled over the noise. "It's too tight in here!"

Jack agreed. He ducked his head and used the computer banks as cover while he ran for the door. He caught movement as Bra'tac and Teal'c did the same. Daniel, who was closest to the door, ducked through as a blast hit the doorway.

The room quickly filled with smoke and dust. Jack could hardly make out Carter's silhouette in front of him. It made the black drones virtually invisible. Were it not for the bolts of energy they shot through the haze, he wouldn't even know where they were.

Teal'c and Bra'tac disappeared through the doorway. Carter squeezed off a shot from her disruptor into the darkness and motioned Jack around her so he could go through first.

He shook his head at her and gave her a nudge. She held her ground and threw him a look that told him in no uncertain terms that she was not leaving until he did. He gave a frustrated sigh. Sometimes he hated her thick headedness. He could overrule her and order her out, but that wasn't something he was willing to do. Instead, he tucked his head down to his chest and dove for the door.

He heard Sam's weapon discharge as she covered his exit.

He flew through the doorway and rolled as soon as he landed. The lights were bright in the large room and he saw the rest of the team running to take cover behind the crates. He waited for Sam to fall through the doorway. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet and away from the approaching drones.

They made it half-way to the first stack of crates before Jack allowed himself to turn and look at the door. Instead of the drone he expected to find there, a small black globe rolled smoothly through the arch of the doorway toward the middle of the room. He felt his eyes widen and he shoved Carter to the ground. "Everybody down!" He threw himself over Carter.

The explosion rocked the room. He felt the heat, heard the blast before his ears popped and sounds grew muffled. Then he didn't feel anything.

ooooooooooooo

One plus the epilogue to go!


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: **Here we are at the last chapter before the epilogue. I can't believe it!

**Disclaimer: **Been there, done that.

**Warning! **Never microwave a plate of marshmallows for s'mores unless you're willing to stand there and watch them. Trust me.

ooooooooooooo

_He heard Sam's weapon discharge as she covered his exit._

_He flew through the doorway and rolled as soon as he landed. The lights were bright in the large room and he saw the rest of the team running to take cover behind the crates. He waited for Sam to fall through the doorway. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet and away from the approaching drones._

_They made it half-way to the first stack of crates before Jack allowed himself to turn and look at the door. Instead of the drone he expected to find there, a small black globe rolled smoothly through the arch of the doorway toward the middle of the room. He felt his eyes widen and he shoved Carter to the ground. "Everybody down!" He threw himself over Carter._

_The explosion rocked the room. He felt the heat, heard the blast before his ears popped and sounds grew muffled. Then he didn't feel anything._

ooooooooooooo

**The Ninth Chevron  
**

**Chapter Thirty- Eight**

"Jack!" An urgent voice called him out of his silent shell. "Jack. Wake up." The voice was muffled, as if he were under water.

He forced his eyes open and Sam's blurry face came into view. "What?" he mumbled. His eyes drooped shut.

"Come on, General," she said. Relief flashed across her face. "We have to find cover."

He opened his eyes again and glanced around. The walls were blackened and pieces of shattered boxes littered the room.

His memory slowly returned. The bomb. Ba'al. The weapon.

Smoke poured out of a hole in the floor not far from their position, which was quite a bit farther away from the door than he remembered. They must have been thrown by the explosion.

"Where are Teal'c and Daniel?" he asked as he pushed himself up.

She shook her head. "I don't know." Her voice still sounded funny. He reached up with one hand and felt something sticky coming from his ears. Great.

He accepted her help to sit up, but stopped suddenly at the pain in his shoulder. He looked down and saw a large wedge of wood protruding just under his collar bone. It stuck out of his skin like a dart in a game board.

"It's too close to the artery," Carter said, her expression apologetic. "I don't think we should pull it out."

He looked pointedly at her. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "It looks like I finally got lucky."

He nodded and pushed himself with his good arm to his feet. He was a bit wobbly. "Where are the drones?"

"I haven't seen them."

As if on cue, a blast shot out from the door. It flew over Carter's shoulder and pulverized some crates behind them. The drone itself appeared and ran at them, full speed. The second was right behind it.

Carter bent for her weapon on the floor. She pulled it up and fired her disruptor twice. It took down the first drone, but there wasn't time for the second. It swatted her away like paper. She flew into a pile of rubble and lay still.

The drone didn't even slow; it reached out its hand, wrapped its fingers around Jack's neck, and lifted him from the floor. He pushed out with his hands, trying to find some weak spot, but couldn't. His lungs began to burn and his vision dimmed.

On the edge of his awareness he heard the discharge of disruptor fire. He felt the fingers around his neck loosen and he fell to the floor, gasping for air. The drone hit the floor hard beside him. He looked up.

Daniel stood near where Sam had fallen, his weapon still raised. "You okay, Jack?" he called out.

He gave a thumbs-up and rubbed his throat. He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye.

Daniel knelt down to check on Carter.

"Daniel!" Jack yelled.

Daniel shot up and turned around, right into the beam of Ba'al's hand device.

Instantly, he fell back to his knees, his eyes wide with pain.

Jack searched the ground for his P-90. It had to be in the rubble somewhere! The movement jarred his shoulder and sent stabs of pain through his chest and arm. Forget it! It would probably be too difficult to handle the P-90 anyway. Instead, he reached for his sidearm in its holster on his leg. He had to shift a bit to reach for it with his left hand.

"You Tau'ri are like rats!" Ba'al said. His eyes flashed. "Everywhere I turn, you're there waiting to destroy what I have worked so hard to accomplish." He moved the device nearer to Daniel's forehead and smiled when Daniel let out sharp cry.

Jack raised his weapon and aimed it at Ba'al. Blood ran down his chest from his shoulder. His vision dimmed.

"My only regret will be that I killed you so quickly," Ba'al continued. Daniel's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell to his hands.

A streak of light shot forward from the far wall. It raced across the room and struck Ba'al in the back.

He let out a sharp cry and his eyes flashed.

Jack jerked his attention to where the shot came from. Bra'tac leaned heavily against the wall while Teal'c lowered the staff weapon he'd just fired.

Jack pushed himself painfully up off the floor and walked up to Ba'al, who continued to move on the floor. The hole in his back smoked. "Guess you'll have to wait on that regret, Ba'al," he said.

The Goa'uld grimaced. His face reflected pure hatred. "I will kill you, I swear."

"Hasn't happened yet," Jack said.

Teal'c approached, his weapon raised.

Jack gave him a once over and clapped him on the back. "Nice shot." He holstered his sidearm.

"Thank you, O'Neill."

"So," he said to Ba'al, "looks like this time, you get to come with us."

Ba'al smiled tightly. "Once again you are incorrect, O'Neill." He reached quickly for a device on his wrist; in the next instant the light of a transporter swallowed him.

"Damn," Jack said.

"It is of no matter," Bra'tac said. "We must complete what we came here to do."

Jack nodded.

Daniel helped a conscious Carter up off the floor. She looked relatively fine.

Together, they made their way back into the control room. Most of the smoke had cleared and it looked like there wasn't too much damage to the computers.

They moved quickly to the two women lying on the floor near the cryo-chamber.

Daniel reached to check for a pulse on Aisa. Jack knew even before Daniel shook his head what the verdict would be. Her lips were blue and her skin chalky white.

Anise lay face down, her body twisted at a weird angle. "She's alive!" Carter said as she removed her fingers from the Tok'ra's neck. She sat on the floor and gently rolled Anise over to her back.

She groaned in pain and clutched her middle. It was a mess of blood and charred flesh.

"Don't move," Carter said quietly.

Anise's eyes cracked open and she sucked in a watery breath. Her gaze fell on Jack and she smiled. "I am glad you are alright, General."

"You didn't have to do that," he said.

She shook her head. "Yes, I did. Had to… right a wrong. Make up… for my… deception."

"It wasn't just _your_ deception," Carter said. She glanced down at Anise's body and sighed.

Anise sensed what Carter was thinking. "I am going to die," she said. "My symbiote is trying to heal my body, but she tells me the damage is too great."

Carter nodded. "I'm sorry."

"It is I who am sorry," Anise said. "I never… meant to betray. Merely tried to… prevent Ba'al…"

Jack interrupted. "We know."

Her eyes rose to Jack again. "Do not let these events… destroy all we have worked for. The Tok'ra alliance… will need time to heal… but Ba'al cannot be allowed to have… the weapon."

"We'll take care of it."

She smiled. "I regret… that we will not work together… again."

"Thank you," Jack said.

Another smile and then Anise's eyes rolled back into her head, her body limp.

Carter looked up at Jack and stood.

He shook his head. They didn't have time for regrets. "You heard the lady. Let's get rid of this thing." He stepped toward the nearest console. "Carter? Is there a radio that'll reach the Prometheus in orbit here?"

Carter moved to his side. "There should be."

She inspected the panel and moved a few things around, then gave him a nod. "Speak into here," she said, pointing to a square box.

"SG-1 to Prometheus."

A voice answered almost before he finished speaking. "Go ahead SG-1."

"I'm calling for an immediate evacuation of the moon and everything above it. It's about to go boom."

"Yes, sir," the voice said. "How long do we have?"

"Oh, I don't know." He looked questioningly at Carter.

"We'll give you ten minutes, Prometheus," she said.

"Copy." There was silence and then the voice spoke again. "I've been informed we won't be able to transport you from your location if we get much farther away."

"That's alright, Prometheus. We'll come to you."

OoOoOoOoO

"That's the sign," Reynolds called into his radio from his position behind the fallen Tel'tak. "All teams prepare for immediate evac."

"The drones have slipped past our line!" Lieutenant Chen called. "They're advancing on our position!"

Reynolds ducked a blast, surprised that this time it had come from the side. "Just hold your ground. The Daedalus will have us in a moment!"

The corner of the ship shattered under fire and shards flew into his face. He felt the sharp sting as metal embedded itself in his cheek just under his right eye. The concussion of the blast knocked him back. He landed hard on the ground.

Another shot blew his weapon out of his hands and sent it skittering into the undergrowth. Pain raced from his fingers to his wrists. He looked down and his eyes widened at his scorched hands.

A sound drew his attention. The black form of a drone stepped out from the trees right in front of him. Its head turned slowly as it looked around and finally settled its glowing eyes on him.

He braced himself as its arm straightened, weapon pointed right at his head.

There was nothing he could do but wait for the kill shot.

The warm sensation of a transporter embraced him and he sighed with relief. He saw the drone get off a shot, but it was too late. He was gone before it reached him.

OoOoOoOoO

"You heard the man, Major," Caldwell barked. "As soon as the last of the SG teams are on board, get us as far away from here as you can."

The addition of the Jaffa ships to the battle had been a life saver. Literally. Their combined presence had taken a lot of the heat off the fighters and allowed the bigger ships to take a more offensive role. He felt a lot more satisfied leaving this battle than the one they'd started.

"The Daedalus and the Daniel Jackson are already moving away. Thor sent word to the Jaffa fleet," Captain Kleinman reported.

"Good. Keep your eye on those Ha'tak and tell the F-302s to keep harrying the gliders. Just because we're retreating, it doesn't mean they'll want to stop being a nuisance. When we're clear of the combat zone, recall all squadrons."

Kleinman nodded. "Yes, sir."

OoOoOoOoO

"It's just about ready, sir," Carter said. Her face was lit by the glow of the computer she leaned over. "Aisa already had it set to auto dial the Gate once the weapon is fired."

He nodded. Now came the hard part.

Daniel beat him to it. "Uh, guys… I know it's kind of been the elephant in the room the last couple of minutes, but…"

"Who is going to fire the weapon?" Bra'tac finished for him.

Daniel nodded.

The room went silent.

"What if none of us can? Aisa seemed pretty adamant that she and it were connected somehow," Jack said.

Carter shook her head. "I don't think it's a problem. I've looked over the chamber and the computer. Nothing seems geared towards a single biology."

"Then why was she so adamant?" Jack asked. "'I am Aisa'—remember?"

"Think about it," Daniel said. "She's spent thousands of years in that chamber ready to die. It's no wonder she would consider herself an extension of the weapon."

"She also mentioned evil being able to use it. Would she have said such a thing if she were the only one who could fire the weapon?" Bra'tac asked.

Jack shook his head. "I guess not."

"So, the question remains," Teal'c said.

Daniel's voice was quiet. "Who's going to fire the weapon?"

Everyone looked around the circle. One of them was going to die today.

"I'm doing it."

"I'm doing it."

Jack met Carter's eyes. "No. You're not."

"Sir…"

"That's an order, Carter," he snapped.

"I won't let you do it, sir!" Her voice rose.

"You don't have a choice." He stepped over to her side at the computer panel and studied the controls. Nothing looked too complicated. Carter had done all the work. As far as he understood, all he needed to do was step into the chamber and it would do the rest.

Carter didn't budge from her spot next to him. He raised his eyes and gave her a hard look. "I gave you an order. Prepare your team to leave."

Her eyes went cold. He saw the stubborn set of her jaw.

"Sam," he said. His voice softened. "You know I can't let you." His tactic was low, he knew, but the sentiment was true.

She stiffened. Her eyes searched his face, saw his determination. He knew the minute she decided she couldn't change his mind. "Fine!" she snapped.

She left his side and addressed the others. "Get your gear. We're about to leave."

They looked from Sam to Jack, reluctant. No one wanted to leave him behind.

He cursed. "Get moving, folks. We haven't got all day!"

Teal'c was the first to move. He reached for the staff weapon resting against the wall beside him and handed it to Bra'tac.

The old man took it and nodded to Jack. It was an understated farewell that Jack thought suited the Jaffa.

Jack nodded back and stepped away from the computer. Carter wouldn't meet his eyes as he passed her.

"Jack," Daniel said sadly.

"Daniel."

They looked at each other. Jack had no clue what to say. Apparently, neither did Daniel. He reached out his hand and Jack took it.

Jack saw an emotion akin to panic cross Daniel's face. His eyes widened at something over Jack' shoulder.

"Sam?" he asked.

Jack spun around to find Sam standing at the computer panel. She looked up quickly and her hands moved over the board.

"I'm sorry, Jack," she said quickly. "I can't let you do it."

Jack's heart skipped a beat. He took a step forward, but knew he wouldn't make it. "Sam…"

Her eyes filled and she reached out one last time to the panel in front of her. "Goodbye."

"No!" Jack yelled then he was transported away.

OoOoOoOoO

Cam's 302 pushed through the debris field of a newly destroyed glider, his wing on fire from the latest tussle. It wasn't long-lived since there wasn't any oxygen to feed it, but the damage was done. The controls felt sluggish in his hand.

"Prometheus to all 302 squadrons," he heard through the comm. "Come on home."

"And none too soon," Griff said.

Cam smiled. "Ah, this old bird could've handled a lot more." He dodged an enemy ship and dove into a loop that sent him flying back towards the Daedalus.

There was a large part of him that felt a twinge of sadness. He sure was going to miss the feel of pulling three Gs in the middle of a dog fight.

That was fine, he told himself. He was on to bigger and brighter things.

OoOoOoOoO

A flash of light and the bridge of the Prometheus surrounded Jack.

"We have to go back!" he said, his mind spinning. His thoughts only on somehow erasing what had just happened… stopping what was about to happen.

"There's no time," Pendergast said. There was a flurry of activity as the ship pushed its engines to move away from the impending disaster.

"I'm registering a power surge inside the moon," Grant reported.

A stream of light shot up from the surface of the planet and Jack watched as it impacted the lead Ha'tak's hull. It blasted apart in an instant. One second there, the next gone.

"Enemy vessel one has been destroyed," Kleinman said, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Pendergast nodded. "Keep us on our current trajectory. It won't be long now."

Jack couldn't move. The weapon had been fired. His brain refused to accept what that meant.

"I'm detecting another power surge," Grant said.

"The computer's dialing the gate." Daniel's voice shook. His eyes looked hollow.

Grant continued to report. "Something's happening."

His heart in his throat, Jack stood and watched through the window ahead as fire encapsulated the moon, now so far away. It exploded; a blue halo of energy shot out from its axis that took out first the Ha'taks that remained in orbit and then the gas giant beside it. The wave shot through space towards the ship.

"Shields," Pendergast ordered— but Jack barely heard it. He just watched it come, numb.

"All hands, brace for impact." Another order on the edge of his awareness, but none of it mattered.

The wave crashed forward, losing its intensity the farther it got from its epicenter until a mere fraction of its force collided with the shields and pushed past the Prometheus with barely a nudge.

Cheers rose from the personnel on the bridge, the celebration of a victory hard fought and thought impossible.

Jack heard none of it. Silence surrounded him. Except the pounding of his heart. His brain refused to function. It was stuck on replay of his final moments with her. Not enough time.

He closed his eyes. He didn't want to look anymore. He felt the strength leave his neck and his head fell to his chest. His knees weakened, but a steady hand wrapped firmly around his upper arm and held him upright. Daniel. Teal'c's heavy palm landed on his shoulder. He felt its comforting warmth and knew they felt the loss as much as he did.

"She's gone," he whispered.

The three stood side by side, stuck in their sorrow as if the universe had gone still. Outside the window the remains of the Destroyer of Worlds quickly turned to ash and drifted away into the vastness of space.

ooooooooooooooooo

Don't hate me.


	39. Epilogue

**Warning! **Shippy angst ahead...

**The Ninth Chevron**

**Epilogue**

Daniel's office hadn't changed, but for some reason, it felt different. Maybe it was the mood.

Jack stood in the doorway a moment and watched his friends work. His shoulder itched inside the sling he'd been forced to wear the past few days. Teal'c stood beside Daniel, who sat on a stool at his work table. The recovered tablet from their time on Fensilir sat on its surface.

"What are you fiddling with now, Daniel?" Jack finally asked, letting his presence be known.

Daniel looked up and pushed his glasses back to the bridge of his nose. "Oh, hi Jack."

Teal'c gave a small nod and smiled in greeting.

Jack stepped inside the room. "Whatcha' doin'?" He raised his eyebrows and looked pointedly at the electronic tablet.

Daniel looked a little startled. "I didn't want to bother you with it right now, considering the circumstances, but if you'd really like to know…"

Jack sighed. "Of course, I'd _love_ to hear about it." He tried to push some sarcasm into his voice.

"Well," Daniel said. He stood and offered Jack his stool.

Jack perched on it and watched Daniel step to the opposite side of the table.

"The tech boys were finally able to access the information on the second tablet from Fensalir. Teal'c and I have been working to translate the text."

"Does it say anything interesting?" Jack asked. He discovered that his stool seat rotated and started shifting it slightly with his hips.

"Actually, Jack, it's extremely interesting," Daniel said. A little bit of his old spark lit his eyes.

"Oh?" Jack lifted his eyebrows. "Do tell."

"It looks like Ba'al may have been way off."

"Yes, well, I've been saying he was off for years."

Daniel smiled. "Not that kind of off, Jack. See, all that time he wanted to go through the Stargate on the moon station. He thought there was something more powerful on the other side."

"Aisa confirmed as much," Jack said.

"Yes, but she also said she didn't understand why he would want whatever it was. She called the Stargate the 'portal of renewal."

Jack remembered that. "She did."

"Daniel Jackson believes there was a device at the address that would reverse the effects of the weapon," Teal'c said.

Jack thought about that for a second. "Why?"

"The computer I retrieved from Fensalir had information on it, not about a weapon, but regarding the artificial creation of atmosphere, oxygen, plant life…"

Jack shook his head. "The weapon moon had all of that."

Daniel smiled. "It did, Jack, but what if that wasn't all? What if the terra-forming of the moon was just a dry run? A practice for instigating the process on a larger scale."

"So you think—"

"That whatever was on the other end of the ninth chevron was a literal renewal. The weapon takes away life and then those left behind step through the Stargate and reform what has been destroyed. A new life."

"It's a stretch, Daniel."

Daniel nodded. "True. And maybe it's just my wishful thinking that Aisa and her people didn't merely set out to destroy."

Jack shook his head with a smile. "See, there goes your pesky faith in people coloring your judgment again."

"It does fit. The mythology surrounding the Moirae suggests that they could rain down destruction, but in other stories, they're called the bringers of life… even sometimes depicted as hand maidens to child birth."

"There is no way to be sure now that the power source has been destroyed," Teal'c said.

"Oh, I don't know," Jack said. "There may be another way to dial the Gate out there. You never know what's around the corner." He smiled at his friends.

"Well, I think Ba'al will be in for a surprise if he ever manages to discover one," Daniel said.

"So will the Tok'ra for that matter," Jack added.

"They are without honor," Teal'c said.

"Washington agrees with you," Jack said. "I have a feeling relations with the Tok'ra are going to be strained for quite some time."

"They've officially apologized," Daniel said.

"Well, I can tell you where they can stick their apology." Jack scowled.

"Whatever we feel toward them, in the end Anise came through."

Jack looked at the floor. "Yeah, well…"

"Speaking of what's around the corner," Daniel said. "How's the move going?"

"Oh," Jack sighed, "everything's all boxed up and ready to go."

"Things won't be the same around here without you and Sam."

Jack lowered his eyes to his hands. He put his thumbs together, pulled them apart; pretended to inspect his nails. He blew air from his lips. "I know."

There was a moment of silence.

Then Jack cleared his throat and looked back up. "But, hey. Washington's just a flight away, and I'll still find myself here on occasion."

"You know, Jack," Daniel said. He looked a little nervous. "I'm not sure I'll be here when you come back."

Jack started. "Why not?"

"I don't know. I just think it might be time for me to move on."

"Move on where? Away from the program?"

Daniel met his eyes. "Well, it's either that or join a scientific team." He shook his head. "And I don't think I could do that. It wouldn't be the same."

Jack thought for a moment. "What about Atlantis?"

Daniel chuckled. "You know I'd go there in a heartbeat, but come on, Jack. I've asked and been turned down how many times now?"

Jack shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. You kind of have friends in high places. I might be able to…"

Daniel's eyes lit up. "You serious about that?"

Jack smiled. "Well, what good's being The Man if I can't send my best friends out of the galaxy?"

"I, too, will be leaving," Teal'c said.

Jack raised his eyebrows.

"The Council has offered me a seat. I believe it is where I will best serve my people as we build a new government."

Jack nodded and clasped his friend on the shoulder. "I know, Teal'c. You'll be great."

They stood in silence. Jack found his eyes roaming the room. Of course it felt different, he thought. It wasn't home anymore. For any of them.

"The world turns on a dime," Daniel finally said.

Jack's smile was a little sad. "I suppose it does."

OoOoOoOoO

"I have no doubt you will find that though our styles may be different, General Landry will be the leader you deserve," Jack said. He stood behind a podium at the top of the metal platform of the Gate room, the Stargate inert behind him.

The red, white, and blue bunting he'd delegated Walter to order was streamed from one end of the naquadah ring to the other. His former staff stood at attention on the floor before him. His eyes scanned the faces in the crowd, taking note that there was one missing.

Jack relaxed his posture a little and absently toyed with the corner of the podium. "You know, when I took this job, I wasn't sure I could fill General Hammond's shoes. I worried that I couldn't do his legacy justice. And while I still feel that my shadow stands short beside his, the program he maintained will stand strong against whatever it faces in the future because of the men and women in this room. The continued advancement of the human race will have you to thank. And I have you to thank for welcoming me when I was unworthy and making me look good. Stay safe out there."

Jack stepped away from the podium and smiled at the applause. He knew he should be happy for his promotion. He should feel the smile that graced his face on the inside. The truth was, he was leaving for Washington not really sure of what lay ahead. All he knew was that one part of his life was ending. An important part.

He shook hands with each soldier who approached and wrapped a friendly hug around the shoulders of Colonel Reynolds since he didn't want to hurt his bandaged fingers. Just this morning, he'd read the report that affirmed the Colonel would make a complete recovery.

Jack continued through the crowd to the exit at the back. He was almost there when his eyes shifted through the remaining sea of people and met the gaze of a pair of baby blues just in front of the door.

He smiled and his sadness lifted. Well, he knew one thing that lay ahead.

OoOoOoOoO

_What was left of SG-1 stood unmoving, barely aware of the activity around them. Then a voice._

"_Sir, the Daedalus is reporting a transmission from the surface of the moon just before it exploded."_

_Jack's head lifted._

"_What kind of transmission?" Pendergast asked._

_Grant shook her head. "I'm not sure. We were closer to the moon than they were. The energy fluctuations were messing with our sensors." She looked back at the Colonel and pushed the earpiece tighter to her ear. "They're reporting a steady stream like a transporter." Her eyes widened. "It was directed at Prometheus."_

_Pendergast sat straighter. "Sound the alarm," he ordered. The bridge filled with red light as his orders were followed. "Scan all decks. Check the computer for any odd readings during the past five minutes."_

_Grant nodded. A few moments later she found what she was looking for. "There was an energy spike on deck twelve, sir. It's a storage room."_

"_Send a security team."_

"_Already on their way." She listened patiently for the team to report. Finally, her face lit with surprise. "They're there, sir. They've found Colonel Carter!"_

_Jack's head shot up. He felt Daniel's hand tighten on his arm._

"_They say they've found Colonel Carter unconscious on the floor of the storage room."_

_Jack was barely aware his feet had started moving. His mind raced, his heart refusing to hope. It pounded inside his chest. His eyes stung._

_How could she be? _

_But she was. He stopped dead in the doorway of the storage room the second his eyes fell on her form on the floor. He felt Daniel and Teal'c's presence behind him. There was a medic blocking his view. All he could see were military issue boots and green fatigues… and a mop of messy blonde hair._

_He pushed past the guards at the door and knelt down next to the medic. Carter's eyes were open. They found him instantly and she smiled._

"_Carter… how?"_

"_She shot me, sir," she said, her voice tinged with pain. He drew his attention away from her face and looked to where the medic worked on her torso. Her jacket was undone and lay on the floor, her shirt ripped just below her rib cage. There was a lot of blood covering her left side. A neat bullet hole was nestled almost perpendicular to her belly button, away from anything vital. He saw her stomach muscles flinch as the medic cleaned the wound. _

_Jack knelt beside her, his mind kicked into gear at the sight of her blood. She was alive. She was here. How? "Who shot you?" he asked._

"_Anise." She shook her head against the floor. "She must have come to right after I beamed you away. I put my gun down and stepped into the cryo-chamber." She shut her eyes tight against the pain and then opened them again. "She shot me. She took my place in the chamber."_

_Jack smiled and allowed himself to take her hand in his own. "She must have known you wouldn't stand aside willingly."_

_Her eyes met his and clouded. "I'm sorry."_

_He shook his head. "Never apologize for being you, Carter."_

OoOoOoOoO

Jack let himself into his house and threw his keys down on the hall table along with the sling he refused to wear anymore. Not bothering with the lights, he stepped down the entryway stairs and into his empty living room. Well, not empty, but the boxes that lined the walls didn't count. The movers would be there in the morning to take everything to his new home in Washington.

His feet echoed on the floor as he walked up to the large paneled window and looked out over the rain slicked street. The streetlight cast his face in shadow.

Then he heard it. Footsteps. Coming down the hall from his bedroom. He looked up and saw her standing there at the top of the stairs. Lightning flashed outside, revealing her features for an instant. Soft. Full of wonder. And a little scared.

He was, too.

"You were late to the ceremony," he said.

She nodded. "I had a checkup in the infirmary."

"Everything okay?"

She nodded again.

She still wore her dress blues, but she'd kicked off her heels and taken off her blazer.

He turned and took the stairs slowly. She stood silently and watched him approach.

He moved off the final step and into the entryway. Two more steps put him in front of her, so close he could feel the heat radiating from her body. She tilted her head and looked up at him. No words were necessary.

His hands shook as he reached out and brushed a stray hair from her forehead. She leaned her head into his caress and closed her eyes as he continued to trace her jaw line, her neck.

"Carter." The word caught in his throat. His hands moved to her shoulders and he pulled her closer.

He felt her arms reach around his waist.

God.

He buried his face in the curve of her neck and inhaled her. "Sam."

Sam leaned away and opened her eyes to meet his. He was confused by the amusement he found there. "Sir?'

He cocked his eyebrows.

A smile spread across her lips. "Shut up and kiss me, Jack."

He felt a cocky smile spread across his face. He leaned in. His hands moved up to frame her face; his lips hovered just over hers.

"Yes, ma'am."

And he did.

When they finally parted, their eyes met and locked. Her cheeks were flushed, her mouth red and soft.

Again, he was the first to speak. "And we're okay with that?" His words echoed the ones spoken all those years ago when they'd left their desires in that damned room, traded for the needs of others.

The corner of her mouth twitched and her eyes brightened. "It's a start." She tugged on his collar and he let himself be pulled back in for another kiss.

Daniel said the world turned on a dime. Jack thought maybe this turn was worth waiting for.

ooooooooooooooo

**A/N: **I left my notes for the end so I could say a proper thanks to everyone who stuck with me through this endeavor. It's the first full length story I've ever finished, and honestly, I wouldn't have done it if there weren't real people reading it and telling me they liked it. I thank you so much for the continued nudge. Sbz... you are amazing!

Please review... even/especially if you haven't reviewed it yet. I'd love to put some names to the numbers I've seen each time I posted a new chapter.

I'm a little sad it's over... what _will_ I write now? Hmmmm....


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